A staff member at Oxford University has been suspended from work after it was alleged online material had emerged showing he had links to Islamic terrorism.
University bosses ordered the action after learning the 'non-academic' employee, whose identity has not been revealed, had been arrested for terrorism offences and detained in Italy five years ago.
It was alleged at the time that the man was involved in spreading extremist material, and although he denied committing an offence, he spent two-and-a-half years in a number of prisons.He reportedly sent emails containing links to download operational manuals on how to execute terror 'attacks and guerilla techniques'.
Yesterday (Saturday) The university confirmed it had 'immediately' alerted Thames Valley Police when senior staff learned of the man’s background earlier this month, and an internal investigation has been ordered.
It's not known what job he has at the university, or whether he was in a position to seek to influence students should he have chosen to do so.
It is also not clear how long the man, who is believed to be in his mid-30s, has been employed by the university or has lived in the UK.
Reports in Italy at the time of his March 2012 arrest said he had been detained in the Marche region in the east of the country.
An operation by Italian authorities and the Cagliari State Police led to his arrest as part of a wider investigation into Jihadi extremism.
He converted to Islam after studying Arabic, had changed his name and wanted to travel to Afghanistan to 'join the war-fighting formations of the 'Holy War', the reports added.
He was reported to have been in a relationship with a Moroccan woman,and that counter-terrorism police in Italy arrested him as he was about to leave the country and go to Rabat, Morocco.
The man, along with others, was considered a major link between international Jihadists and 'the Italian network', it was reported, and may have served a prison sentence in a number of ‘institutions' across Italy, before his release in 2014.
He subsequently moved to England, where he was eventually employed by Oxford University.
A spokesman for the university confirmed the man had been suspended from work pending an investigation.
Former Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Helen King, now the principal of St Anne's College, will head a 'review' of the circumstances surrounding the case.
It is understood Ms King, who is chairwoman of the university's security committee, will then make 'recommendations'.
Thames Valley Police said it is not currently investigating any offences related to the man.
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