COUNTER-TERRORISM police say the transformation of Jamshed Javeed from teacher to terrorist was "rapid".

Javeed was leading an ordinary life and would not normally be classed as "vulnerable" to being radicalised, police said.

The Sharples School science teacher was jailed for six years at Woolwich Crown Court yesterday, and will serve a further three on licence.

Counter-terrorism police said the ease of travel to Syria via Turkey is amounting to "Jihad on your doorstep".

Det Ch Supt Tony Mole, head of the north west counter-terrorism unit, said: "It was clear from very early in the case that the family were absolutely set against him joining this terrorist group in Syria.

"Whilst that is going on we were already engaged in an investigation regarding himself and others. He has engaged with a handful of other people.

"There has been quite a rapid radicalisation, from leading a normal, stable family life to being at the final stage of preparation to going out to join Islamic State.

"We thought the risk of him going out there was too high.

"Going out to join Isis is a life-changing step in terms of the danger somebody may pose on potentially returning, and he has helped others.

"It was the right thing to do. I don’t know at what stage the family found out about it, but once they did they confronted him and have taken the steps they did."

The 30-year-old had bought equipment to take with him and had gone to the lengths of ordering a new passport after his family members took and hid his own.

This application prompted police to swoop and arrest him in December, 2013, as they deemed the risk of Javeed going to Syria was "too high".

He had already paid for flights and equipment so brother Mohammed and friend Khalil Raoufi could fly out and join the struggle.

He added: "Families and communities must come to us with their concerns about people that may be joining terrorist organisations.

"Any person that wants to join Isis is a potentially dangerous person.

"It is an ongoing problem around the whole country.

"We have up to 500 people out there potentially fighting and Greater Manchester has its proportion.

"Syria has changed the dynamic of our work. It is fast-paced and rapid and got some legs at the moment.

"That is because of lots of different reasons. Propaganda, ease of travel, Jihad on your doorstep. To get to Turkey is not that hard.

"This was a guy leading an ordinary life, we would not normally class him as vulnerable to this."