Revealed: Terrorist friend of Manchester Arena bomber among 550 extremists back on the streets since 7/7

The figures come ahead of the twentieth anniversary of the 7/7 suicide bombings, which killed 52 people in London, and will likely renew calls for tougher sentences for those convicted of terrorism offences.

According to data from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, and the counter-terror policing network, 870 people have been convicted of terror offences since 7/7.

550 of those have already been released onto Britain’s streets - either on licence or because their sentences have expired.

Sources have indicated to LBC that around 300 of the freed convicts refused to enrol in deradicalisation programmes in prison, adding to concerns about the potential risk to communities across the UK.

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One case to attract significant scrutiny is that of Abdalraouf Abdallah.

Abdallah was given an extended sentence of nine and a half years in 2016 for preparing and funding acts of terrorism. He became paralysed from the waist down while fighting in the Libyan revolution of 2011.

Most notably, however, he is believed to have been a major influence on Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people in 2017.

Despite the Parole Board refusing to direct his release, Abdallah was freed from prison in November 2024. The panel stated it was “not satisfied that [Abdallah] no longer posed a risk to the public.”

Given the questions surrounding his suitability for release, LBC’s crime correspondent, Andy Hughes, put these concerns directly to Abdallah.

Accompanied by a security detail, Hughes spotted an opportunity to question Abdallah on the second day of his stakeout.

Pressed on whether he radicalised Abedi, Abdallah said he “had nothing to do with that case.” He refused to address whether he posed a danger to the public or if he was still radicalising young men in the community.

Barely a minute after being confronted, Abdallah made a phone call, which he claimed was to the police. In fact, he contacted confidants in the local area.

On safety grounds, the decision was then taken to abandon any further efforts to get answers from Abdallah.

As they vacated the area, Abdallah was heard whistling toward The Crime Agents team.

Earlier this year it emerged that terrorist Haroon Aswat, who was linked to the 7/7 bombings and was jailed for 20 years for plotting to form an extremist training camp, may be freed despite remaining a ‘risk to national security’.

A High Court judge ruled in April this year that Aswat could be released from a secure hospital after completing treatment for mental ill-health.

Mr Justice Jay said months ago the release of Aswat from his detention under the Mental Health Act was now expected in the “relatively near future”, enabling him to return to his family in Batley, West Yorkshire.

He was said to have met two 7/7 bombers at an al-Qaeda safe house in Pakistan, and in 2005, police traced 20 calls to a phone linked to Aswat made by the 7/7 bombers, hours before their attacks in central London left 52 people dead and more than 800 injured.

The management of offenders like Abdallah is a key task for the UK’s counter-terrorism operatives.

One of those bearing the greatest responsibility for protecting the public is the Metropolitan Police’s head of Counter Terrorism Command, Richard Smith.

“We work extremely hard to manage that cohort of individuals and the potential risk that they pose, and we do that alongside a whole range of other potential threats from terrorism,” Smith told The Crime Agents in an exclusive interview.

“We've got a sense of who they've been associating with,” Smith continued. “[We know] whether they are being radicalised or whether their trajectory is downwards. We've also got a sense of whether any downward trajectory is real or, maybe, false compliance.

“If somebody is coming out of prison, we will do everything we can to manage that threat and risk, regardless of what I might think about whether they should have come out earlier.

“Since 2017, we've prevented 43 late-stage plots for terrorist attacks in this country. But behind that is a whole host of other investigations where we have intervened much earlier.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Terror offenders released on licence are under strict supervision and can be returned to prison if they break the rules.

"To enhance public safety, we’re increasing probation funding by 45% by 2028 and are on track to recruit 2,300 new officers by March next year.”

You can listen to The Crime Agents - with Andy Hughes and former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu - on the LBC app.