A member of the so-called "Beatles" Islamic State terror cell which was allegedly behind the brutal killing of Bolton aid worker Alan Henning could be sentenced to life in prison on Friday in the US.

El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, faces a possible life sentence after being found guilty of his role in a hostage-taking scheme which involved torturing, beating and executing prisoners.

The jihadist, who grew up in London, is accused of being one of a gang of four IS militants nicknamed the "Beatles" by their captives due to their British accents.

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

In April, Elsheikh was convicted of eight counts relating to four American hostages, James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller, after a trial at the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.

The three American men that Elsheikh was charged in connection with were executed in videotaped beheadings broadcast online.

Ms Mueller was enslaved and raped multiple times by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she was killed.

The four 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.

The Metropolitan Police said this week the four men were identified because Kotey and Elsheikh were arrested at an English Defence League (EDL) counter-protest in London in September 2011.