Dozens of whistleblowers whose evidence helped expose the Trojan Horse plot in Birmingham schools have been told their identities will be revealed to the ringleaders.

The shock decision to lift the anonymity of the staff and governors who gave evidence has been slammed as 'appalling' and 'outrageous' by city education chiefs.

The Department for Education has written to those who gave evidence telling them their identities and statements will be given to five plotters facing disciplinary action before the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

It is thought that about 50 individuals made anonymous statements and many will still be living and working in the Birmingham area.

Golden Hillock School, Nansen Primary School, Park View School - all run by the Park View Educational Trust - Oldknow Academy and Saltley School in Birmingham were placed in special measures as a result of their evidence.

Park View Academy denied the allegations and the governors of Park View Educational Trust described the investigations as a 'witch-hunt'

The Park View chool (pictured) was at the centre of the Trojan Horse plot, which came to light following a letter which detailed an alleged plot by hardline Muslims

Many were hounded out of their jobs by hard-liners who wanted to instil an 'intolerant and aggressive' Islamic ethos in several inner city schools.

Teachers facing 'Trojan Horse' hearing can now see critics' names The Department for Education controversially agreed to supply the details of the whistleblowers after Razwan Faraz, Hardeep Saini, Arshad Hussain, Monzoor Hussain and Lindsey Clark apparently asked for the right to challenge their statements when they appear before the NCTL. The whistle-blowers' identities and unredacted transcripts are now set be disclosed to the head teachers' lawyers. However, lawyers acting for the NAHT union have managed to temporarily block any details of nine affected members being handed over. Rob Kelsall, NAHT senior regional officer, said anonymity had been key to some of its members speaking out. He added that the letters were received on or about December 22, giving until 4pm on Tuesday January 3 - the first working day back - for recipients to respond. Mr Kelsall said: 'Our lawyers had only six hours to challenge the disclosure.' He had also heard of one example where the DfE had sent the confidential letter to an old address. The union has asked for 28 days to make further representations to block disclosure. Advertisement

Razwan Faraz, Hardeep Saini, Arshad Hussain, Monzoor Hussain and Lindsey Clark are due to appear before the NCTL and face being banned from the classroom if allegations are upheld.

It is understood they have asked for the right to challenge the whistle blowers statements and the Department for Education has agreed to supply them in full.

Birmingham's Labour cabinet member for education Brigid Jones and the Conservative shadow cabinet member Matt Bennett, along with the city's Lib Dems have backed a council letter demanding the government preserve the anonymity of witnesses.

Cllr Jones said: 'We're extremely alarmed that the guarantees of anonymity given to the Clarke Report witnesses appear to no longer stand.

'Many of these witnesses only agreed to come forward under strong guarantees of confidentiality, and they and their families could be placed at significant personal risk should their identities and full testimonies be revealed.

'To have presented individuals who have already gone through extreme stress to give their evidence with this possibility just before Christmas is nothing short of astonishing.'

She added that the decision could prevent more whistleblowers coming forward to expose wrongdoing in future.

Cllr Bennett (Edgbaston) added: 'This is outrageous. These people gave evidence in good faith on the basis they would remain anonymous.'

Former police chief Peter Clarke, who led the Government's Trojan Horse investigation in 2014, said he has been contacted by several whistle blowers.

He told The Sun: 'I am appalled that promises of confidentiality made in good faith with the full knowledge of government lawyers are seemingly now to be cast aside.

'Why would anyone come forward in similar circumstances in future if their trust is to be betrayed in this way?'

His original findings, published in the Clarke Report, found 'clear evidence' of a group of like-minded individuals working to support extremist views in classrooms.

But he found no evidence of terrorism, radicalisation or violent extremism in schools.

A whistleblower told them: 'This is a nightmare. I am deeply worried for my safety and there are wider implications. If this happens, no government will be able to act against a repetition of this plot because nobody will ever talk to them again.'

Tahir Alam (left) and Razwan Faraz (right) were part of the 'Park View Brotherhood' of teachers, and were both banned from the classroom

A Department for Education spokesman said they would not comment as this is part of an ongoing investigation.

The Trojan Horse scandal started with an anonymous letter in March 2015 describing an Islamic plot to take over schools in Birmingham called 'Operation Trojan Horse'.

The document - now thought to be a hoax - proposed a campaign of installing governors and undermining and then replacing school leaders with staff who would be more sympathetic to their religious agenda.

That in turn led to 21 schools being inspected by schools inspector Ofsted, which put six schools in special measures and said five had not done enough to protect children from extremism.