Zia ul-Haq, a convicted al-Queda terrorist who planned a dirty bomb attack in London, enrolled with 17 other inmates for a comedy class while in prison.

ul-Haq, serving 18 years in high-security detention, attended the class for three days, learning stand-up comedy, improvisation, visual arts and creative writing.

When Justice Secretary Jack Straw learned of the comedy class, he immediately put an end to it.

In the U.K.’s Daily Mail, British reaction was a combination of anger and shock:

John Falding, 65, whose partner Anat Rosenberg, 39, died in Tavistock Square in the 7/7 London terror attacks, said: “My first reaction was ‘Are they having a laugh?’ It seems a bit off-color and tasteless.”

“A comedy course is a step too far, because this guy is a convicted terrorist. Certainly the survivors and relatives of those who died in the London bombings are not laughing. There is no joy in their lives.”

Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “Being in prison is no laughing matter. Criminals don’t go to jail to have a good time. By all means, money should be spent to train prisoners and give them skills for when they come out, but in the meantime life for them should be pretty tough. There are a lot of ordinary people who would love to go on a comedy course but cannot afford it. Why should criminals get a go at the taxpayers’ expense?”