Two brothers from Beckenham have become leading figures in the fight against the jihadi Isis terrorists.

A national newspaper has reported Polad and Lahur Talabani went to Crofton School and spent many years in south-east London before returning to their home in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

Their uncle Jalal Talabani leads an important political party in the country and the siblings now hold key military roles there.

In the UK Polad trained as a motor mechanic at Bromley College and now heads up an elite government unit in an area known as Peshmerga.

While Lahur, the current head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s intelligence service, went to Greenwich University to study business management.

Both Polad and Lahur are said to have spent their early years hiding from Saddam Hussein in the Kurdish mountains before fleeing to safety in London.

They reportedly both speak with London accents and it is said Polad has fond memories of his time as a mechanic. He also described being disappointed at having to miss seeing England play at the World Cup.

But above all both are now dedicated to fighting Isis and strongly oppose jihadism as the Isis movement continues to threaten any chance of peace in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.