London: A radical Muslim who ousted a leading moderate cleric from his mosque on England's south coast with a campaign of violence has said he believes Tony Blair is a "legitimate target" for terrorists.

Abubaker Deghayes, who now runs the mosque in Brighton and whose brother Omar is a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, told an undercover reporter that he endorsed the views of George Galloway, the MP, who said an attack on the prime minister by a suicide bomber could be morally justified.

Court documents show Deghayes took over the mosque using violence, intimidation and threats. Dr Abduljalil Sajid, a leading imam and a government adviser on Islam, was forced out as head of the mosque by Deghayes and his supporters.

It is understood Sussex police Special Branch held a number of meetings with Sajid about extremist elements at the site, but no overt action was taken. Sajid, chairman of the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, is understood to have raised his concerns about the mosque with Blair.

Extremist literature

Police sources have confirmed that in the past extremist literature had been found at the site and that some of those attending the mosque were suspected of having fought as "mercenaries" abroad.

The Charity Commission, which has jurisdiction over the mosque because it is run as a charity, said it did not know how the mosque was receiving and spending money and added that it was operating "in breach of legal requirements".

A reporter spent two weeks undercover at the Al Quds mosque, which is in a detached house in Brighton. Asked whether he shared Galloway's view that the prime minister was a legitimate target for suicide bombers, he replied: "Yes, I do, I do."

In another conversation, Deghayes said: "He is a legitimate target. Him and Bush are part of all that we see now."

Asked if he ever prayed for Blair to be attacked by a Muslim, he said: "I pray to Allah to support them. Of course, I know anybody who attacks in the name of Islam, Allah will take care of him." Deghayes is from Libya but now has British citizenship.

David Courtailler, a convicted supporter of Al Qaida who is connected to a number of terrorists responsible for the Madrid bombings and 9/11, converted to Islam at the Brighton mosque days before travelling to Afghanistan.