Did Britain tip off Americans over Headley?

British authorities have claimed that they had tipped off the Americans about David Coleman Headley, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for plotting attacks in India at the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's behest.

Quoting sources, The Daily Telegraph reported that British authorities collected vital information that identified Headley, a US citizen living in Chicago also known as Daood Gilani.

According to a US indictment, 49-year-old Headley, arrested in October, was a freelance reconnaissance agent for terrorist groups including the LeT, the group behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

British intelligence was responsible for the arrest of another US terrorist suspect, Najibullah Zazi, 24, who was allegedly planning attacks on the New York subway when he was arrested in Denver in September.

Investigators in India are still trying to piece together Headley's activities in the run-up to the Mumbai strikes and it was suspected that he did a recce of the attack sites.

While investigations continue into Headley's activities in India he has been charged in Chicago with a number of other terrorist offences. He is accused of plotting an attack on the culture editor and cartoonist who published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper.