Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed ‘Jihadi John’ for his role as executioner in a number of Islamic State (IS) propaganda videos, has been described as a cold loner with anger issues by those that knew him.

Emwazi may be important to IS as a figurehead and recruiter of disillusioned young western Muslims to the group, but revelations about his character have shown him to be a troubled young man.

In an interview with the BBC, a Turkish former IS fighter described Emwazi as a cold loner that would not acknowledge other IS fighters or mix with other British jihadists.

The former militants went on say that many young jihadists have been attracted to join IS after seeing Emwazi stand defiantly against the West in IS propaganda videos, but said that there was little special about him in reality.

Previously, BBC Newsnight reported that the Kuwaiti-born militant needed help to control his anger issues while attending Quintin Kynaston school in west London. An unnamed teacher said that Emwazi struggled academically in primary school, but improved in secondary school, where he also worked hard to control his anger issues after being involved in a number of fights.