Hamza, who once described Britain as a "toilet", is estimated to have cost his adopted country around £4million in legal aid, state handouts and the cost of policing his sermons of hate. And an Old Bailey judge yesterday ordered Hamza to make a final disclosure of his assets on July 14 before a costs hearing on August 31.

Louis Weston, for the Legal Services Commission, said attempts to freeze the twice-married cleric's assets go on. But so far, he has failed to explain how he paid for himself and his seven children. He has never fully described the source of his cash.

Hamza sold his second home for more than £200,000 when he was behind bars on terror charges. Mr Weston said: "Abu Hamza has had every opportunity to provide the information the court has ordered of him to explain his means, how he survived, how he and his family funded his personal expenditure, and has failed to do so."

Mr Justice Hughes ordered Hamza to return to the Old Bailey, where he was jailed in February. But Paul Hynes, for Hamza, told the judge: "He declined to attend and the prison authorities did not feel it appropriate to attempt any compulsion."

Mr Weston told the judge that a statement of costs filed by Hamza's defence solicitors was a "very high sum".

It is claimed Hamza sold a house in Hammersmith, west London, while on remand at Belmarsh jail. He is said to have bought the property in 2000 and sold it for £228,000 in 2004 – four months after he was arrested. Hamza claims his son bought it.

The commission also also wants details of Hamza's other bank accounts and credit cards, which he allegedly used to pay bills to Thames Water and Hammersmith and Fulham Council in October 2002.

Hamza still faces extradition to the US, which wants to try him over claims that he helped the kidnap and murder of Western tourists in Yemen and set up terror training camps in Oregon and Afghanistan.

His appeal against his conviction for solicitation to murder, stirring up race hate and possessing a document for terrorist purposes is due to be heard in the Appeal Court in London on July 28.

His defence on the assets hearing, the appeal and the extradition are all being paid for by the British taxpayer.