Police are investigating suggestions that 12 members of one British family, including a baby, have travelled to regions in Syria controlled by Islamic State after going missing in Turkey.

The family from Luton, Bedfordshire, ranging from small grandchildren to grandparents, travelled to Bangladesh for a holiday, and were then due to fly back to Britain in mid-May via Istanbul, Turkey. The grandparents are said to have health problems that require medication.

Police say they never arrived back as scheduled, and were reported missing by a concerned relative.

In a statement, Bedforshire police said: “There is a suggestion that the family may have gone to Syria. However, police have so far been unable to corroborate that information.”

The family members still in Britain have said their loved ones may have been tricked into going to Syria.

Those missing include Muhammed Abdul Mannan, 75, and his wife Minera Khatun, 53. Mannan was described as frail and reportedly suffers from diabetes, while his wife is understood to have cancer. Also missing are their daughter Rajia Khanom, 21, and sons Mohammed Zayd Hussain, 25, Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19, Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker, 31, and his wife Sheida Khanam, 27, Mohammed Saleh Hussain, 26, and his wife Roshanara Begum, 24, and three children aged between one and 11.

Counter-terrorism officials are believed to be helping the investigation.

Photo issued by Bedfordshire police of Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19. Photograph: Bedfordshire police/PA

The group from Luton, who are of Bangladeshi heritage, flew out for their holiday on 10 April, flying from London Heathrow to Istanbul, and then onto Bangladesh.

On 11 May they flew back to Istanbul and were due back at Heathrow on 14 May. They did not reurn on were reported missing to police on 17 May.

It remains possible some other reason may explain their disappearence.

In a statement issued via the police, the family said: “We are devastated by the disappearance of these 12 and are very concerned for their safety. This is completely out of character and we are very worried of the danger they may now be in.

“Muhammed Abdul Mannan is elderly and both he and Minera Khatun have health issues. This just does not make any sense. We can only think they have been tricked into going there; it is no place for elderly or young people.

“We would urge any of them to please make contact with us or the police to let us know they are ok.”

Ashuk Ahmed, who has known the family for 30 years, said: “This is three generations of one family ... who have disappeared. We need to know where they are. We are concerned about where they are.”

Ahmed also said: “The sons all had successful businesses, running plumbing and electrical companies. All the boys were doing really well and getting lots of work.”

At the family home, a nextdoor neighbour said he would sometimes take the grandfather to the mosque. “They were just a normal family, but you never know how these things happen. They were just normal religious guys, you’d never think they were extremists in any way. It’s really shocking and unexpected.

“I feel sorry for the elder members of the family because they probably didn’t know where they were going. If they’re in Syria they might have been taken against their will, they probably thought they were just going on holiday.”

Neighbours found out the family were missing when the police arrived in May.

Last month three sisters and nine children from Bradford were feared to have fled to Syria to join Isis.

Kalsoom Bashir, co-director of counter-extremism organisation Inspire, said: “This is profoundly troubling and highlights the problem that Muslim communities in the UK are facing.

“It’s horrifying that we seem to be losing families because of the lies and fantasy that Isis peddles, and of course we must do all we can to stop it from happening.

“There is so much work to challenge this going on already, including in communities – and events like this really underline how urgent it is to prevent families like this from being lost to this despicable group.”



