Jihadi Jack’s parents in attack on Foreign Office

THE parents of Jack Letts – nicknamed Jihadi Jack – have said the Foreign Office is being “completely obstructive” as they bid to help their son, who is being held by Kurds in Syria.

Mr Letts, who turns 22 on Tuesday, converted to Islam and travelled to Syria in 2014. The former Oxford A-level student previously told the BBC he is in solitary confinement in Kurdish-held north-east Syria.

Sally Lane, Mr Letts’ mother, told the Guardian that the FCO and Boris Johnson have refused to help in getting their son released.

The 55-year-old told the paper: “The Foreign Office have been completely obstructive.

“[Foreign Office minister] Alistair Burt has sent us four identical letters saying that they can’t do anything.”

Meanwhile, his father John Letts said he was angered by comments made by international development minister Rory Stewart, who said the only way of dealing with British Islamic State fighters in Syria is to kill them in almost every case.

The family dispute claims their son travelled to Syria to join the socalled Islamic State, and Mr Letts said: “Surely this is illegal. In a democratic system in this country, you don’t have the death penalty and you can’t just go and kill anyone if you think they’re guilty.”

An FCO spokeswoman told the paper: “We have consistently made clear over the last few years that people should not travel to Syria and parts of Iraq.

“As outlined in the FCO’s travel advice, the Government is unable to provide support to British nationals in Syria, as the UK Government does not have consular representation there.”