Paris terror mastermind 'was in UK' months before attacks

The mastermind behind the Paris terror attacks is said to have slipped into Britain on a false passport just months before the atrocity that killed 130 people.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 28, reportedly travelled to London and met up with British jihadists to seek "logistical support" from extremists, despite being on international terror watch lists.

Abaaourd, killed in a police raid days after the Paris atrocity, is thought to have stayed in the UK only a short time. One counter-terror source told The Sun newspaper they were investigating the possibility he arrived in Kent.

The revelations about Abaaoud's movements before the attack come weeks after it emerged he had been in contact with a "network of associates" in Birmingham in the run up to the attacks.

Data on the 29-year-old jihadist's phone reportedly showed he was in contact with Moroccans living in the Alum Rock and Bordesley Green areas of the city.

Police warned residents in the city to be "alert, vigilant but not alarmed" and said they are helping French detectives investigate the attacks.

Abaaoud is believed to have masterminded the attacks against bars, restaurants, a concert hall and sports stadium last month. The Belgian jihadist was shot dead days later during a police siege in Paris.

Britain's terror alert is currently classed as "severe", its second highest level, indicating an attack is highly likely.

The Belgian-born fanatic is known to have left his native country for Syria in 2013 to fight alongside other extremists.

He then returned to Belgium to organise a plot to kill police officers. It was smashed in January but he managed to escape.