Radical preacher Anjem Choudary allowed bail to return to family

Radical preacher Anjem Choudary will spend the holiday season at home with his wife and five children after being granted bail once again as he awaits trial for inviting support for Islamic State on social media.

The 48-year-old Muslim has spent the last two weeks in jail after breaching the strict conditions of his release by meeting an individual he was specifically ordered not to.

His bail was revoked and he was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on November 27 following his arrest the previous day.

But after a renewed application at the Old Bailey, senior judge Mr Justice Holroyde allowed him to be rebailed on the same 10 conditions that were set by Mr Justice Saunders in September.

However, Choudary will have to wait for a £15,000 surety to be provided before he can go back home to his family in Ilford, east London.

Other conditions include living at home with an electronic curfew, not associating with named individuals, not to travel abroad, use an internet device, post on social media or attend a demonstration.

Bearded and bespectacled Choudary thanked the judge following his ruling on the matter.

Earlier, Choudary and his co-accused, Mohammed Rahman, entered not guilty pleas to the charges of inviting support for the banned terror group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant between June 29 2014, and March 6 2015.

Rahman, who insisted on standing throughout the hearing, wore a grey and white floor-length robe and black trainers while Choudary was dressed in a midnight blue tunic.

Mr Justice Holroyde adjourned the case until 2pm on January 11 next year for a further hearing ahead of the trial which is due to start on the following day. The case is scheduled to take three to four weeks.

Choudary, of Hampton Road, Ilford, and Rahman, 32, of Sidney Street in Whitechapel, east London, were originally both granted conditional bail.