The video will start in 8 Cancel

News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Two British members of 'The Beatles' ISIS cell now face the death penalty after the US decision to extradite them, according to reports.

El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, who were dubbed the 'George and Ringo' of the four-man gang, took part in brutal hostage executions in Syria.

Their English accents earned them the nickname 'The Beatles' among their hostages, who included Brits John Cantlie, David Haines and Alan Henning.

The group was accused of being responsible for killing a number of high-profile Western captives, such as the beheading of US journalist James Foley.

Elsheikh and Kotey were captured in January last year, sparking an international row over whether they should be returned to the UK for trial or face justice in another jurisdiction.

(Image: BBC)

The gang also released footage of their hostage executions, including the killings of Mr Foley, American Steven Sotloff, Mr Haines and Mr Henning.

The clips were shared online, sparking horror around the world.

They are now being transferred into US military custody because the Turkish incursion into Syria threatened their continued detention by Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, the Washington Post reports.

US prosecutors would seek to convict Elsheikh and Kotey as conspirators in hostage-taking resulting in death, which carries a possible death sentence, according to reports.

Kotey told the Daily Mirror in a jail cell interview earlier this year that he feared most the possibility of facing trial in America.

(Image: Rowan Griffiths \\ Daily Mirror)

Alexanda Kotey rose quickly through the ranks of so-called Islamic State after being by commanders of the terror movement.

He grew up in Ladbroke Grove, West London, a hotspot for drug dealing and crime, and quit school early.

From what he previously told the Mirror, he “hit the streets with a vengeance”.

Born in Britain to a Ghanaian father and Greek Cypriot mother, he grew up supporting his local football team, Queens Park Rangers.

However, he was also known to have been a drug dealer and to have spend time behind bars.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Kotey claims that during his teenage years, before going to Syria, he rubbed shoulders with street “hoodlums” as well as posh Etonian drug takers.

But, as Kotey previously told the Mirror ruefully: “To be honest, you can probably guess what my youth was like – I was in trouble with the police and understand the judicial system.”

Kotey was radicalised at some point in his early 20s.

And despite having two young children – even though he admits to having only one daughter back in the UK – he left for Syria.

There, six years ago, he married a local woman from the war-torn city of Aleppo.

The couple had three children together but she fled Raqqa for her home town before he was caught.