A MAN who tried to fly to Syria to fight with Islamic State (IS) has gone to jail for seven years.

Mohammed Uddin flew to the country to join the terrorist group on November 4, 2014.

A month later he crossed the border back into Turkey but was detained by authorities in Gaziantep for failing to produce travel documents.

On his return to the UK, on December 22 that year, the 29-year-old was stopped by counter terrorism officers at Gatwick Airport. Security checks raised suspicions and when officers investigated they found he possessed extremist material.

Uddin, of Wilmington Gardens, Barking, pleaded guilty to one count of preparation contrary Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 when he appeared at Woolwich Crown Court this week.

Assistant chief Constable Laura Nicholson, who leads on counter-terrorism across the South East, said: "This has been a long, detailed and thorough investigation by officers at the South East Counter Terrorism Unit and the Crown Prosecution Service, which has resulted a great deal of evidence being uncovered and led to a guilty plea by Uddin.

"Anyone intending to travel to Syria or Iraq to fight or to commit terrorist acts against the UK or our interests should be in no doubt that the police will take the strongest possible action against them.

“Returning foreign fighters pose a threat to the UK and we also have a responsibility to protect UK interests around the world.”