An advisory group that London's Metropolitan Police is required to consult with on safety and security issues is being headed by a radical Islamist who leads a group openly trying to bring sharia law to Europe, Andrew Gilligan reports in Monday's Telegraph.

Azad Ali previously had to resign as the founding chairman of the Muslim Safety Forum due to his radical views, Gilligan reports, but he has quietly returned to the post. Ali is part of the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE), which wants an Islamic state in Europe. Success infiltrating Labour Party politics was among the findings of Gilligan's investigation into the IFE. As for Ali:

"He has previously praised a key mentor of Osama bin Laden. Earlier this year, he was filmed by an undercover reporter from Channel 4's Dispatches stating: 'Democracy, if it means not implementing the sharia, of course nobody agrees with that.'

When the documentary was aired, Mr Ali attacked the reporter on the IFE's official radio station, saying: 'We've got a picture of you and a lot more than you thought we had. We've tracked you down to different places. And if people are gonna turn what I've just said into a threat, that's their fault, innit?'"

The Muslim Safety Forum has a signed agreement with the Metropolitan Police to be consulted on formulating policy.

One Member of Parliament questioned the wisdom of the police relationship with the Forum, saying police "should have nothing to do with [Ali]. I know for a fact that there are just as knowledgeable members of the Muslim community who do not share his subversive views."