FIFTY suspected Islamist extremists have been stripped of their passports, Theresa May said yesterday, prior to the publication of a new anti-extremism strategy.

The Home Secretary said that 30 people have had their passports removed permanently since 2013.

A further 20 have had their documents temporarily seized under rules introduced earlier this year to stop people travelling to Syria to join Islamic State.

Mrs May told the Sunday Times that the new extremism strategy would contain tougher rules for broadcasters on the time given to hate preachers and extra support for a police unit aimed at taking extremist content off the internet.

“We will be looking at legislation to disrupt extremist activity but I’ve excluded more hate preachers than any previous home secretary from coming into the country at all,” she said.

Ms May has banned 97 “hate preachers” from entering Britain since she became Home Secretary in 2010, as well as presiding over the removal of Abu Qatada and Abu Hamza.

The Cabinet minister also stressed the importance of universities combating the spread of extremism, following new guidance imposing a duty on them to act.