THE University of Westminster has hit back at claims it is a fertile breeding ground for Islamic extremism as arguments rage over who is to blame over the British-raised Islamic State (IS) jihadist Mohammed Emwazi also known as Jihadi John.

Security services and the university have both come under fire after Westminster graduate Mohammed Emwazi, 26, was identified in reports as the terrorist behind a string of brutal murders in the Middle East.

The university said it "condemns the promotion of terrorism", while Home Secretary Theresa May rallied to the defence of the UK's security and intelligence services, calling them "true heroes", following claims on Thursday by campaign group Cage that MI5 drove Emwazi to extremism.

Kuwait-born Londoner Emwazi had been pinpointed as a potential terrorist by the British authorities but was nonetheless able to travel to Syria in 2013 and join a group responsible for the murder of several Western hostages.

Responding to claims last night from a fellow former student that the university was a fertile ground for radical Islam and extremism, a spokesman for the institution said: "We condemn the promotion of radicalisation, terrorism and violence or threats against any member of our community.

"We have strict policies to promote tolerance among our 20,000 student community, who come to study from over 150 nations.

"Any student found to be engaging in radicalised activity or intimidating others would be subject to disciplinary procedures.

"As a London-based university operating in a diverse multi-cultural city, we are fully aware of all the influences within this international city. With other universities in London, we are working together to implement the Government's Prevent strategy to tackle extremism."

Tory former shadow home secretary David Davis said the revelation that Emwazi seen in a series of chilling beheading videos had been on the radar showed the approach of MI5 was "ineffective".

In a newspaper report he wrote: "Given the numbers who appear to have slipped through the net, it is legitimate to ask: how many more people must die before we start to look more closely at the strategy of our intelligence services?"

Relying on disruption and interference rather than prosecution and imprisonment "leaves known terrorists both to carry out evil deeds and to recruit more conspirators", he warned.

Addressing the Conservative Party's Welsh conference, May issued an impassioned defence of the way the intelligence and security services were addressing the danger posed by Islamist extremism and other threats.

She said: "You might not see the work they do. You might not know the risks they take. You might not be told about the plots they stop.

"But these remarkable men and women are true heroes. And they deserve the support and respect of every single one of us."

Meanwhile, the former head of MI6 also hit back at claims that the security services played a role in Emwazi's radicalisation.

Asim Qureshi, research director of Cage, claims Emwazi was interrogated by MI5 and subjected to security agency harassment before becoming a militant.

But Sir John Sawers, head of MI6 from 2009 to 2014, said arguments that harassment drove Emwazi to join IS were "very specious".

He said: "The idea that somehow being spoken to by a member of MI5 is a radicalising act, I think this is very false and very transparent."

Sir John said there were "several thousand" people who were of concern to the intelligence agencies and there had to be a "balance" in the way they were dealt with.

He said: "They're doing their professional job by being aware of these people.

But there are probably several thousand of these individuals of concern and the numbers are rising as more people go to Syria and Iraq and are radicalised out there.

"And no one is talking about rounding up all these people or keeping 100% coverage, there's just not the resources to do that and it would be contrary to our principles of human rights to do that ... so you do have to find a balance in there."

Emwazi rose to notoriety after he featured in a video posted online last August, in which he appeared to kill American journalist James Foley.

Dressed in black with a balaclava covering all but his eyes and the ridge of his nose, and a holster under his left arm, he reappeared in videos of the beheadings of US journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.

Last month, the militant appeared in a video with Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto, shortly before they were killed.

Computing graduate Emwazi was born in Kuwait and moved to Britain aged six.

He lived in west London and attended St Mary Magdalene Church of England primary school and Quintin Kynaston Community Academy in St John's Wood, where he reportedly studied alongside X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos.

It was reported that Emwazi was a member of a close-knit group of young jihadis whose links were forged at secondary school and during five-a-side football matches in the west London neighbourhood, rather than at mosques or political meetings, according to one of their number.

Earlier this week the daughter of Islamic State beheading victim David Haines, said families would feel closure following the identification of Emwazi when "there's a bullet between his eyes".

Haines, 44, was killed in September last year.

His 17-year-old daughter Bethany, a Perth Academy pupil, said knowing his identity was "a good step" - but said the real relief would be knowing he had been killed. "It's a good step but I think all the families will feel closure and relief once there's a bullet between his eyes."

mfl