The Metropolitan Police has warned people who seek out and read radical Islamist publications online they could face prosecution.

The caution comes after an online radical al Qaeda-linked magazine, Inspire, incited its readers to attack public events in the West.

The Met also issued a formal advisory to other police forces following the publication of the spring 2014 issue of the title.

A spokesman for the force said: "The MPS Counter Terrorism Command is aware of the websites and appropriate steps have been put in place, including providing security advice where relevant.

"The public is reminded that viewing downloading or disseminating extremist material within the UK may constitute an offence under Section 1 and 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

"As part of our continued work, we regularly work with, and support, industry, the organisers of sporting events and companies overseeing crowded places with a variety of briefings and advice."

Inspire is an English language online magazine which bears the emblem of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen.

However, editorial and technological flaws have raised doubts about the publication's authenticity.

Inspire began publishing in 2010, and its first issue included a now infamous article titled "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom" that instructed would-be violent jihadists to use materials commonly found in a household kitchen, such as a pressure cooker.

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reportedly admitted to investigators that he and his brother Tamerlan learned how to build the bombs used in the marathon attack in April last year by reading the magazine.

The latest issue of the magazine urges jihadists to target heavily populated events such as political rallies and sporting events, both in the US and abroad - including in the UK, France and other "crusading" countries.