According to a report in the Sunday Times, British security services MI5 and MI6 have identified the masked man with the London accent that was seen in the shocking video of US journalist James Foley’s murder, released by the Islamic State extremist army last week.

While the sources of the newspaper gave no details of the man they have identified, the main suspect is Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 23, who recently tweeted a picture of himself holding up a severed head.

Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, who is said to be known to fellow fighters as “Jihadi John”, left his family’s million-pound home in Maida Vale, west London, last year to wage jihad against infidels.