Conversion to Islam on rise

UP TO 100,000 converts to Islam are living in the UK, with white women leading the growing number of people embracing the Muslim faith, according to a new report.

The number of converts may have risen from 60,000 in 2001 to between 90,000 and 100,000, according to the report.

A study by Kevin Brice, of Swansea University, on behalf of the organisation Faith Matters, found that 5,200 people converted to Islam in the UK last year.

A survey of 122 converts last year showed 56 per cent were white British, with women making up 62 per cent of respondents. The average age at conversion was just over 27.