British authorities re-arrested radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada yesterday and began a fresh bid to deport him, saying they had resolved concerns about his treatment in Jordan.

Home Secretary Theresa May told Parliament she had received assurances from Amman that the 51-year-old would receive a fair trial if he was returned to face charges of involvement in terror attacks in his home country.

Abu Qatada was found guilty in his absence in 1998, but Jordan has promised to quash the conviction and give him a new hearing before civilian judges, with independent defence lawyers and the right to question witnesses, she said.

“Qatada does not belong in Britain, he belongs in Jordan, where he deserves to face justice,” Ms May told the House of Commons.

She admitted that his deportation could still take “many months”.

At an immigration hearing a few hours later, a judge denied Abu Qatada bail, saying there was a real possibility that he would abscond.

Britain has been trying since 2005 to deport the cleric, who was labelled a senior aide to late Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden by a Spanish judge.

But its efforts have been repeatedly blocked by the courts.