A Walthamstow dad who was paid damages by the Daily Mail after Katie Hopkins branded his family Islamic extremists has asked the public to forgive the columnist.

The national newspaper was forced to pay £150k to the Mahmood family over comments made by Hopkins when they were barred from boarding a flight to the US in December last year.

Brothers Tariq and Zahid Mahmood had planned to take nine of their children on a holiday to Disneyland before US officials refused them entry to a flight to California.

A week after the incident, Hopkins wrote a column on the family titled: “Just because Britain's border security is a Mickey Mouse operation you can't blame America for not letting this lot travel to Disneyland – I wouldn't either”.

The former Apprentice contestant went on to claim the reason the Mahmoods gave for their visit to the US was bogus and the brothers had links to Al Qaeda.

Yesterday, the Mail issued an apology to the family, stating they were not “extremists” and did not have connections to the Islamist group.

The newspaper also retracted statements published in a second column by Hopkins a week later, which claimed Tariq Mahmood’s son, Hamza, was responsible for a Facebook page containing extremist material.

The article included a photograph of the Mahmoods' family home, in Lansdown Road, Walthamstow.

However, in a statement released today through Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, Zahid Mahmood asked the public to forgive Hopkins for her comments.

He said: “This past year for us as a family has been extremely testing.

“I would like to say we are blessed to have such lovely friends and family whom along with the general public have supported us with their kind and encouraging words and advice.

“Our faith teaches us to forgive and to stand up for injustice and it is that same faith that we find is always being dragged through the mud by people who do not understand the true meaning of Islam.

“My faith is important to me, it defines me as a person and is constantly is making me strive to be a better human.

“Yes I am a Muslim but no I am not a terrorist. My children are kids just like yours, my family just like yours. I have a humble request to all please don't judge all Muslims on the actions of a few.

“Our prophet taught us to forgive those who wrong us and to see the good in everyone, so I there for would like to say [myself] my wife and family would like to accept Katie Hopkins apology and draw a line under this matter.

“I know a lot of people are making vile comments about her, but please refrain and forgive her for her actions.”