Eight Britons have control orders

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More than half of terror suspects under house arrest-like conditions in the UK are now British, according to figures.

The Home Office says there are 14 individuals currently subjected to a control order - and eight of them are British citizens.

The total represents a slight fall in the number of control orders in force, with three suspects on the run.

Ministers say the orders are essential to fight terrorism - but critics say it amounts to detention without trial.

Control orders are a key plank of the Home Office's counter-terrorism policy and were introduced after the courts ruled a previous system of detention without charge breached human rights.

While the terms of control orders vary from case to case, they amount to often severe restrictions on the liberty of the subject, including curfews at home, electronic tagging and limits on where they can go, who they can meet and how they can communicate.

In its latest quarterly statement on the orders, the Home Office said two new control orders had been made between 11 June and 10 September, both against British citizens.

Five control orders were renewed, four expired and one was revoked, said the Home Office, which did not give any further information.

Absconders

Overall, seven people placed under an control order have absconded - but only three remain technically subject to the restrictions which must be legally renewed and served again every 12 months.

Of the three, one went missing in January but has not been named for legal reasons. The other two are brothers Lamine and Ibrahim Adam who went missing in May this year.

Their brother, Anthony Garcia, was one of five men jailed in April for his role in an international conspiracy to build a massive homemade bomb out of fertiliser.

The human rights impact of control orders are set to be soon tested with the Law Lords to rule on whether the controversial policy breaches rights to liberty and fair trial.