A group of football-loving jihadists who travelled to join terror group ISIS in Syria were radicalised while living in Waltham Forest, it is claimed.

The Portuguese men, who reportedly settled in the borough while trying to make a career in football, are even being linked to a man known as Jihadi John, the terrorist filmed executing journalist James Foley.

The group are now being hunted by security services who believe they could be behind gruesome execution videos which hit the internet last year, Mailonline has said.

One man who lived in Walthamstow is believed to have Tweeted about what was going to happen to Mr Foley, 39 days prior to his murder.

Nero Saraiva, who lived in a one-bedroom flat in Walthamstow for three years, posted on Twitter that ISIS were ‘making a movie’ and thanked America for its ‘actors’.

Saravia is one of a group of five men who lived in Leyton and Walthamstow who were on the radar of the British intelligence services.

 

 

His most recent Tweet, in July said: “Signing petitions and just talking will not work. We need to go forward and fight. Allahu Akbar.”

He is believed to have travelled to fight with ISIS in 2012.

The East London group are now being considered as responsible for filming and distribution of videos of the execution of British hostages Alan Henning and David Haines.

Others in the group, who travelled to the UK from Portugal included talented footballer Fabio Pocas, 22.

He had previously played at the youth academy of Sporting Lisbon – the same club as Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Before converting to Islam the young sportsman signed up with UK Footballer Finder to help him further his career in Britain.

Now, he calls himself Abdurahman Al Andalus and lives in a town called Manjib.

The five men travelled to London separately but at one point, some shared a flat in Leyton, according to Expresso newspaper in Lisbon.

Another man, Celso Rodrigues da Costa, 28, is believed to have had training sessions with Arsenal, but did not make any team.

He is believed to have an older brother in Syria.

Both men were enrolled at the University of East London (UEL) in Stratford but failed to attend classes.

Another 26-year-old man who is alleged to have traveled from the borough was killed in October.

The men were reported to have met up in a Portuguese cafe to watch football.