London, Nov.17: An al-Qaeda terror suspect received to grovelling apologies from the British Home Office recently for delays in his application to live in Britain.

Egyptian-born Hany Youssef had applied for asylum when he arrived in the UK in 1994 with his wife and five children. He later applied for indefinite leave to remain.

A letter from the Government’s immigration chief Lin Homer stressed that Youssef was on the UN list of people “belonging to or associated with al-Qaeda”.

But she added: “I am sorry that it has taken so long to process the application. I apologise for any delay or anxiety this has caused Mr Youssef or his family.”

A second Home Office letter, according to The Sun, said officials “apologise for any inconvenience to him and his family”.

Youssef is currently living at taxpayers’ expense in a three-bedroom house in Hammersmith, West London.

Youssef, who is not suspected of terror offences in England, won substantial damages three years ago after claiming he was falsely imprisoned in 1999.

He was one of four Egyptians held under anti-terror laws. Court documents revealed Tony Blair pressed for them to be extradited to Egypt.

When he was told they could not be sent back, Blair is reported to have said: “This is crazy.”

The Home Office’s apology was blasted last night by Greg Hands, the Tory MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, the area where Youssef lives.

“I am shocked that the Government is even considering a senior al-Qaeda suspect as a candidate for indefinite leave to remain in this country, let alone apologising to him for delays,” Hands was quoted, as saying. (ANI)