FAMILIES and religious leaders in Bolton must work together to stop people joining terrorist organisations abroad, former foreign secretary William Hague has urged.

The Conservative minister made the comments in an exclusive interview with The Bolton News while visiting Manchester.

It follows the case of Sharples High School teacher Jamshed Javeed, who pleaded guilty last month to planning to join terrorist organisation Isis in Syria, despite efforts by his pregnant wife and parents to stop him.

Javeed now faces life in prison.

Mr Hague, who was joined by Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim and Baroness Susan Williams, said the whole community had a role to stop people becoming radicalised.

He said: “We all have a part to play in this.

“Obviously in the government there are things we can do to prevent them if we know about them – the home secretary can confiscate passports and has done so, and we can cancel the leave to remain in this country for people who don’t have British nationality for people who reside here — and we do that.

“And of course we have to take every possible measure to keep the country secure from people who go to a foreign country and return radicalised.

“But we all have a part to play - so do families and communities - in keeping an eye out for those who might want to go and fight abroad.

“Religious leaders have been very responsible actually and making it very clear – this is not what their religion wants them to do.

“So religious leaders have a continuing role, families have a continuing role.

"We should all be very clear – do not travel to Syria and Iraq.

“Those who do travel are often killed there, and they are often involved in things they never thought they were getting into.

“They are asked to do terrible things which may not have been in their minds when they set off.”

Mr Hague also spoke about the importance of Bolton West, a key marginal seat that is expected to play a significant part in the result of the next general election.

He said: “We will work hard over the coming six months to make the message get through – the message is that the long-term economic plan of this government and our vision of a ‘northern powerhouse’ will be of enormous help to everyone in Bolton over the coming years.”