Queen 'asked why Britain couldn't arrest Abu Hamza'

The UK and US have welcomed a European court ruling that paves the way for Abu Hamza al-Masri and four other terrorism suspects to be extradited to America.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Queen had voiced concerns about the inability of authorities to arrest a man she felt must have broken UK laws.

The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the Queen spoke to the home secretary at the time and "was upset that her country and her subjects had been denigrated by this man who was using the country as a platform for his very violent views".

The BBC later made a statement saying the conversation between Frank Gardner and the Queen should have remained private and that it 'deeply regretted' the breach of confidence.

  • Subsection
  • Published