David Cameron resumes holiday in Cornwall following crisis meetings about James Foley beheading

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Prime Minister David Cameron is to recommence his holiday in Cornwall today - but will continue to receive regular updates and briefings about the crisis in Iraq, Downing Street has said.

Cameron returned to London from his second summer holiday with his family yesterday, following the release of an Isis video showing a suspected English jihadist beheading the American journalist James Foley.

The Prime Minister, who watched the video, branded the footage “brutal and barbaric” and has instructed MI5 and MI6 to work with US intelligence agencies to identify the killer.

“Let me condemn the barbaric and brutal act that has taken place and let’s be clear – it is an act of murder, and murder without any justification,” Cameron said.

“We have not identified the individual responsible, but from what we have seen it looks increasingly likely that it is a British citizen.

“This is deeply shocking. Far too many British citizens have travelled to Iraq and Syria to take part in extremism and violence. And what we must do is redouble all our efforts to stop people from going.”

A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has returned to Cornwall after holding meetings in Downing Street yesterday on Iraq and Syria, following the murder of James Foley. He remains in close contact with his team and will be kept fully up to date”.

Interpol has said today that the murder of Foley shows the need for a coordinated international effort against the stream of foreign fighters joining extremists in the Middle East.

The international policy agency said in a statement that Foley's death shows the “depravity” of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and “highlights the ongoing plight of other innocent people across the region.”

Additional reporting by agencies