TOWIE fan suspected of travelling to Syria to join IS arrested at Heathrow airport
A MOTHER who left the UK with her young son who is suspected of joining Islamic State (IS) has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences.
Tareena Shakil is suspected of joining the Islamic State
Tareena Shakil was detained by counter-terror officers from West Midlands Police after she got off a flight from Turkey at around 9pm on Wednesday.
According to the Police she was detained in a pre-planned and intelligence-led operation and is now being questioned by officers.
Shakil, who was travelling with her one-year-old son, was additionally arrested on suspicion of child neglect and child abduction.
Her son is subject to a police protection order and measures are being taken, in partnership with children's services, to protect his welfare.
The 25-year-old lived in Sparkbrook, Birmingham but was from Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
While away her family have publicly stated the Towie fan hated the IS regime and was desperate to return home.
IS has taken over swathes of Syria
Her father Mohammed said she told them: "I hated it, I tried to escape."
She added: “Life is so hard there. There’s no hot water, no electricity for hours on end."
“I escaped death so many times. There were bombs coming down on the street where I lived every night. The house would shake, I didn’t know if I was going to live or die.
“One night there were 30 bombs. The next morning there were body parts and blood everywhere. It was horrific.”
Her disappearance shocked her family.
Today a spokesman for West Midlands Police insisted there was no threat to the safety of the incoming flight.
In a statement, a force spokesman said: "She's suspected of returning to the UK from Syria via Turkey.
"It is her activities, while outside the UK, which form the basis of our investigation."