Abu Hamza al-Masri is facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in jail after the United States sought his extradition on terrorism charges.

US attorney general John Ashcroft said the radical Muslim cleric would face 11 charges, including kidnapping and plotting to set up al Qaeda training camps.

Today's Telegraph dubs the hooked cleric a "terrorist consultant".

"It is a judicial process and I have got to be very careful not to interfere with that, but everyone who has been concerned about this man will want us to get it right," home secretary David Blunkett said last night.

Government sources have confirmed, however, that Hamza will not be extradited without written assurances that he would not be executed.