Men accused of plotting a huge suicide bomb campaign in London also discussed fitting sharp blades on trucks and driving into crowds

Three men accused of plotting a huge suicide bomb attack in Britain discussed fitting sharp blades on a truck before driving it into a crowd, a court heard today.

Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali, both 27, picked up the idea for the weapon dubbed the “Ultimate Mowing Machine” from a banned extremist magazine called Inspire, a jury at Woolwich Crown Court was told.

The trio from Birmingham were caught discussing the weapon during a secretly-recorded conversation in Naseer’s car while they were under police surveillance, said Brian Altman QC, prosecuting. In the recording from September last year, Mr Naseer, said: “So Ashik, it feel like I've been driving a monster truck, you know.“

Mr Khalid said: ”Yeah and do what AQ (al-Qa’ida) said, put that blades at the front of it and trample on everyone.“

He continued later: ”Just drive it into people in (a) crowded area.“

The three men on trial are accused of being ”central figures“ in an alleged extremist plot which led to the arrests of 11 men and a woman of Pakistani and Bangladesh origin. The three men are accused of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. No target was identified before they were arrested in September last year. They deny the charges.