'Britain's jails turning into breeding ground for terrorists': Figures reveal 42% of inmates at one high-security prison are Muslim and bosses fear inmates could be radicalised

Increasing Muslim prison population highlighted by Whitemoor jail

More than one in four of its convicts say they are of Islamic faith

Fears the trend is down to growing radicalisation by Jihaists



Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan calls for government action

Fears are growing that Britain's jails are becoming a hotbed of extremism after it was revealed today that nearly half the inmates of one top security prison are Muslim.



Some 42 per cent of those housed at Category A Whitemoor jail - and more than a quarter of those in London prisons - consider themselves to be of Islamic faith.



Experts now fear large numbers are being radicalised on the inside, where they say the spread of Jihadist ideas is rife.



Figures show more than a quarter of inmates in London jails are Muslim, with one Category A jail revealing 42 per cent of its convicts follow the Islamic faith

Whitemoor inmate Zia Al Haq, left, was jailed for 18 for planning bomb attacks in London while Nezar Hindawi, right, was handed a 45-year sentence for plotting to blow up a jet

A source at Cambridgeshire jail Whitemoor told the Sunday People: 'Whitemoor is now effectively run by Muslims, many of whom are Jihadis.'



A 2012 probe into the jail branded it a 'Taliban recruiting ground' and said inmates were offered protection if they converted to the religion.



Shadow Justice Minister Sadiq Khan claimed ministers are not doing enough to tackle the issue of radicalisation in prisons.



He said: 'In jails like Whitemoor, the Chief Inspector is on record warning of the risks of radicalisation. The Government needs to wake up to his problem before it is too late.'



Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan says too little is being done to tackle the problem at jails like Whitemoor

A source inside Whitemoor said the jail was 'effectively run' by its large Muslim population

Whitemoor houses terrorists including Nezar Hindawi, who was given a 45-year sentence for trying to bomb an airliner.



'In jails like Whitemoor, the Chief Inspector is on record warning of the risks of radicalisation. The Government needs to wake up to his problem before it is too late' Sadiq Khan, Shadow Justice Minister

Also jailed there is Zia Al Haq, who has been locked up for 18 years in 2007 for offences including trying to bomb the London Underground.

The Ministry of Justice insists prison wardens are 'working hard to tackle extremist ideologies'.



A Prison Service spokesman said last night: 'Prisoners are held in establishments most suited to managing their individual needs and level of risk.