Former One Direction star Zayn Malik trying to stop British Muslim girls being Isis brides

Heart-throb and ex-One Direction star Zayn Malik is the role model in a scheme to stop British Muslim girls being recruited as Jihadist brides.

The project is run by former Apprentice star Nurun Ahmed. "The radicals who groom teenage girls tell them groups like Islamic State [Isis] are their only hope for a future," she told the Sun on Sunday.

"We need girls to know this is not true and that there is hope for them in this country.

"We will give them examples of people they can relate to like Zayn Malik from One Direction to help them to understand that they have opportunities."

In February three British schoolgirls from the Bethnal Green Academy in east London – Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana – disappeared from their homes in east London and flew to Turkey, before crossing the border into war-torn Syria.

The girls were believed to have been married off to IS militants but have since been reported missing, with the terror group now "thoroughly searching for them" after their escape.

The Prevent Engage and Inspire will use the schoolgirls' story during a series of talks given at schools in east London.

The Muslim festival of Ramadan begins in June, and there are fears that girls will run away to join the IS in Syria, during the school holidays.

Malik has previously spoken about the racist abuse he receives on Twitter: "Nasty things were said like I'm a terrorist. How can you justify that?" he said in a Mirror interview.

One song blamed the former One Direction singer for the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001. The track called Zayn Did 9/11 features the singer's silhouette superimposed over an image of the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers.

"How can you call me that and get away with it?

"You can say whatever you want about me, I'm not bothered. But when it starts to upset people I care about or I hear about it from my mum, that's a problem."

"I believe that your religion should be between you and whoever your belief is in."