Man in court charged with making explosive substances

Harry Whittaker, 31, denied three counts of unlawfully creating ‘black powder’ during a hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

Pomeroy’s Statue of Justice stands on top of the Central Criminal Court building, Old Bailey (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Archive)

A man has appeared in court charged with making explosive substances.

Harry Whittaker denied three counts of unlawfully creating a “nitrate-based low-explosive composition such as the explosive substance black powder”, during a hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old from Caddington, near Luton, is charged with making it on or before May 6 this year.

During the same hearing, appearing via video link, he pleaded not guilty to unlawfully making an improvised explosive device (IED).

Last month, Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told that chemicals were found in a shed at his home on May 6.

Bedfordshire Police launched an investigation on that date which was passed to the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command on May 13.

The Met said previously the items discovered were being safely identified and removed by specialist officers.

He remains in custody ahead of his Old Bailey trial on December 16.