A man who threatened to blow up Bluewater is among more than 90 convicted terrorists are to be assessed for release from prison next year.

Emergency laws passed in February blocked the automatic early release of jailed terrorists, meaning that that 92 cases could come before the board next year - including that of Jawad Akbar, who was jailed in 2007 after threatening to blow up the shopping centre with a fertiliser bomb.

Akbar was one of five terrorists who plotted to bomb the centre in Greenhithe and the Ministry of Sound nightclub in London in 2004 - and his case is thought to be due for consideration in March.

According to national reports the parole board is bringing in more specialists to deal with the cases due to issues surrounding public protection.

Terror cases make up a small percentage of cases considered each year, but often often take more time and resources due to being more complex and requiring thorough investigation.

The Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act means offenders are no longer automatically freed after serving half their time.

They must instead serve at least two-thirds of their sentence before being eligible for release, and must then be reviewed by the parole board.

However the independent terror watchdog has warned that mistakes will be made around the release of offenders.

Independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall QC said some of those freed could go on to reoffend like Usman Khan, who murdered two people in the London Bridge attack in 2019, 11 months after being released from an eight-year sentence for terror offences.

But he added that the Parole Board will be “ultra-cautious” following the Khan case, in which the killer successfully convinced many, including his prison chaplain and his probation officer, that he had reformed.

Mr Hall told Times Radio: “It (mistakes) is going to happen, and sometimes people will be released for completely correct reasons, but something will happen to them once they have been released.

“Usman Khan had been out for a year, but there will be cases of people who are released and maybe five years later they will do something. I think it would be hard to blame the Parole Board for that.

“The Usman Khan case sent shockwaves through the system. It meant that the Parole Board has become very acutely aware of the risk that the wool is being pulled over the eyes of the authorities. They will be ultra-cautious in cases involving serious offenders.”

Other cases due for consideration include that of Nazam Hussain, who plotted attacks alongside the London Bridge attacker Usman Khan, and Jack Coulson, who made pipe bomb in his Nazi memorabilia-filled bedroom.