UK to ban Islamist group

**A radical Islamist group that planned a march through Wootton Bassett will be banned under counter-terrorism laws, Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said.**Members of Islam4UK had planned the march through the Wiltshire town to honour Muslims killed in the Afghanistan conflict.

The government had been considering outlawing the group - Islam4UK is also known as al-Muhajiroun.

Earlier this week, Gordon Brown said plans for the march were “disgusting”.

‘Tough but necessary’

Mr Johnson said: "I have today laid an order which will proscribe al-Muhajiroun, Islam4UK, and a number of the other names the organisation goes by.

"It is already proscribed under two other names - al-Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect.

"Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism and is not a course we take lightly.

“We are clear that an organisation should not be able to circumvent proscription by simply changing its name.”

The order will come into effect on Thursday and make it a criminal offence to be a member, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.