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London is home to more Islamic terrorists than anywhere else in the UK, a new study has revealed.

Since 1998, some 43 per cent of terrorists arrested for Islamism-related offences in the UK have come from the capital.

East London is home to 50 per cent of London-based offenders, who mostly came from the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest.

The second most common region was the West Midlands where 18 per cent of offenders lived, and the bulk of these people came from Birmingham.

The study also revealed that the amount of all terrorism cases in the UK has almost tripled in the last five years, while Islamist-related offences have doubled between 2011 and 2015.

The report, published by the Hannah Stuart and the Henry Jackson Society, identifies all Islamism-inspired terrorism convictions and suicide attacks in the UK between 1998 and 2015.

According to the society, there were 264 convictions between 1998 and 2015 involving 253 British or foreign nationals.

Some 72 per cent of those committing offences are British nationals, 47 per cent are in full time work or education and 76 per cent have been known to the authorities.

Ms Stuart, a fellow at The Henry Jackson Society, believes this poses "particular challenges for the authorities".

She said: "Our security services will be particularly concerned that the major threat continues to be home grown - and that females are playing an ever increasing role in terrorism.

“Such a high concentration of offenders in London and Birmingham will also focus the minds of policy makers when it comes to deciding where to target our counter-terrorism efforts."

The role of women in terrorism has also trebled, from four per cent in the years 1998 until 2010, to 11 per cent in 2011 until 2015.

The most common age for an Islamic terrorist was 22, a third of women offenders were 22 and the average age overall was 26.8 years old.

In general those who carried out terror attacks were aged between 14 to 52 years old.

Ms Stuart added: "As we continue to improve our policing of Islamism-inspired terrorism - the prevalent national security threat of our age - we should be aware that the vast majority of UK-based terrorists do not act alone.

"This research shows that the overwhelming majority are part of wider networks, formed online and in person, with family and friends - and most have been radicalised here in the UK."