LONDON (AFP) - The radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri on Wednesday lost his final appeal against extradition to the United States to face terrorism charges.

The Egyptian-born former imam, who is serving a seven-year jail term for inciting followers to murder non-believers, had applied to take his course to the House of Lords, the country's highest court.

But a senior judge, Ivor Judge (eds: correct), said the case did not raise a point of law of public importance meriting that it be considered by the Lords.

Lawyers for the 51-year-old, who has one eye and a hook for one hand, argued that the order, signed by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in February, should be blocked because evidence gained by torture was being used against him.

They also contended that if there were to be a trial, it should take place in Britain, as Hamza was living here at the time of the alleged offences.

Hamza is facing a number of charges, including setting up an Al-Qaeda-style training camp for militants in the northwest US state of Oregon.

He is also accused of sending money and recruits to assist Afghanistan's hardline former ruler the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and helping a gang of kidnappers in Yemen who abducted a 16-strong party of Western tourists in 1998.

Four people -- three Britons and an Australian -- were killed.

LIKE IT?  LET OTHERS KNOW