A member of the “Beatles” terror gang accused of the “violent and inhumane” murder of Bolton Aid worker Alan Henning has been jailed for life.

Alexanda Amon Kotey, 38 from Paddington, was one of four Islamic State militants, known as the Beatles because of their English accents, who was involved in torturing, beating, and executing prisoners including Mr Henning.

Appearing before Alexandrian District Court in Virginia, USA today Kotey was given a life sentence for each of the eight counts he had pleaded guilty to.

Describing Kotey’s victims, Judge Thomas Selby Ellis said: “These were not prisoners of war, these weren’t soldiers in the field they were soldiers for good.”

He described Kotey’s actions as “egregious, violent and inhumane.”

Mr Henning was killed in Syria after leading an aid convey from Bolton aiming to help children caught up in the conflict.

The "Beatles" cell, said to be made up of ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, Aine Davis, Alexanda Kotey, and El Shafee Elsheikh, was allegedly responsible for the brutal killings of several Western and Japanese captives, including British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines.

Survivors had previously told the American court, during Elsheikh's trial, how hostages dreaded the arrival of the British group at the prisons in which they were held, and recalled being forced to take part in a “royal rumble” after being told the winner of an hour-long brawl would avoid being water-boarded.

The victims were said to have been among 26 hostages taken between 2012 and 2015, when the Islamic State group dominated large areas in Iraq and Syria.

During Kotey's sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements read out by the families of the victims, including those of Mr Henning and Mr Haines.

Judge Ellis said: “We have all witnessed exceptionally moving, heart-rending statements of these victims’ families.”

He added: “It should be a reminder of what we knew about the hostages.

“Countries celebrate heroes and we should celebrate these individuals who demonstrated courage, purpose and compassion under the most difficult of circumstances.

“The victims of the hostage-taking by Isis are undeniably heroes.”