Girls' Suspected IS Recruiter A 'Disgrace'

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Relatives of a British woman who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State have expressed anger that she may have tried to recruit three missing London schoolgirls.

Police are searching for Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, after they left Gatwick Airport on Tuesday bound for Istanbul.

Authorities believe the teenagers are attempting to reach Syria.

One of the girls, who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, sent a tweet to Aqsa Mahmood, who left her Glasgow home in 2013 after becoming radicalised.

The message - which was sent on 15 February, two days before the schoolgirls left London said: "Follow me so I can dm (direct message) you back."

In a statement released through their lawyer Aamer Anwar, Ms Mahmood's family said they were "full of horror and anger" that she may have played a role in "the recruitment of these young girls".

In a direct message to Ms Mahmood, they said: "You are a disgrace to your family and the people of Scotland, your actions are a perverted and evil distortion of Islam.

"You are killing your family every day with your actions, they are begging you to stop if you ever loved them."

Ms Mahmood travelled via Turkey to Aleppo in Syria in November 2013.

Authorities fear the three London teenagers are also trying to reach Syria through Turkey.

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Gallery: Schoolgirls May Have Gone To Syria

Scotland Yard are trying to trace three teenage girls from the same East London school who are believed to have run off to Syria

CCTV captured images of the girls at Gatwick Airport

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Kadiza Sultana at Gatwick Airport

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On Saturday the schoolgirls' families pleaded with them to come home.

Shamima's family issued a statement saying they miss her "terribly" and are "extremely worried" about her.

They said: "Please, if you hear this message, get in touch and let us know you are safe. We want you home with us. You belong at home with us."

Kadiza's family said: "We are sending you our heartfelt love and continue to pray that you, along with your friends, safely return to us, or at least contact us to let us know you are OK.

"We all love you dearly and the last four days have been a complete nightmare, not knowing where you are and how you are keeping."

The family of Amira said they and her friends missed, adding: "Please come home Amira, everyone is missing you.

"You are strong, smart, beautiful and we are hoping you will make the right decision."

The Metropolitan Police has disclosed the three girls were questioned by officers in December as part of a "routine inquiry".

According to The Times none of the three was subsequently monitored by counter-terrorism police.

Questions have been raised over how the girls - who were described as "straight-A students" - were able to leave the UK so easily.

Former Metropolitan Police border control officer Chris Hobbs told Sky News that checks for people departing from UK airports made it a "walk in the park for jihadis and girls like this" to leave.

"At the moment you go through security, you get on the plane, you might be checked by a private security guard," he said.

"Unless you're very unlucky you won't pass under the eyes of anyone from UK law enforcement."

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