Mohammed Emwazi: Relatives go into hiding under increased scrutiny

Members of his family in London were moved to a secret location by counter-terrorism officers

Relatives of Mohammed Emwazi have gone into hiding in Kuwait and Britain, amid mounting scrutiny after the 26-year-old Briton was named as "Jihadi John" last week.

Members of his family in Paddington, London, were moved to a secret location by counter-terrorism officers on Monday night, it emerged today.

In a statement, Commander Richard Walton, of the Metropolitan Police’s anti-terrorism command, said: “We are not going to confirm the identity of anyone at this stage or give an update on the progress of this live counter terrorism investigation.”

This comes amid reports that Emwazi’s father Jassem has moved his closest relatives to a secret address “because he doesn't want to be bothered by the media or the public - he is not being made to hide by the police”, according to a friend of the family.

Emwazi’s parents claim there is “no proof” their son is Jihadi John – the man behind the beheading at least five hostages, including Britons David Haines and Alan Henning. In a statement issued by the family’s lawyer, Jassem Emwazi, a 51-year-old farm worker who lives in Kuwait, said: “There is no proof that the man shown in the videos and photographs is my son, as the media has reported in the last few days.” He added: “I feel there are some people who believe everything that has been published in the media, and I feel sad about that.”

The comments are in contrast to reports that he had told a colleague earlier this week that he was “ashamed” of his son, who he described as a “terrorist.”