Report warns of 'new generation' Islamic militants radicalised in back streets

A new report shows that the success of anti-radicalisation measures in many of Britain's mosques has pushed militants underground, making them harder to detect by both community leaders and police.

Feeding the process are jailed militants, such as Abu Hamza, who is still exerting an influence from his prison cell on impressionable Muslim youngsters susceptible to his violently anti-Western rhetoric.

Details of the report emerged ahead of imminent release of a key government review of its counter-terrorism strategy, expected this month.

The review of the "Prevent" strand of the strategy – which aims to stop the radicalisation young British Muslims – is expected to make good David Cameron's promise to expel foreign "preachers of hate", such as Hamza, from the UK.

It is also set to bring in a new link between non-violent extremist groups and violent ones – building on the Prime Minister's speech in Munich earlier this year in which he vowed a tougher line and hit out at the "state policy of multi culturalism".