Woman admits hiding terror files in burka

A mother of six has been given a two-year jail sentence after admitting concealing "a mini encyclopaedia of weapons making" in the sleeve of her burka.

Houria Chahed Chentouf, 41, from Manchester, pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing documents likely to be useful for a terrorist. She was released at Manchester Crown Court as she has served her time on remand.

The court heard she accidentally dropped a pen drive containing terror-related documents while being interviewed by officers at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport on 16 October last year.

It had been tied to the inner sleeve of her burka, but fell out as she reached down to scratch her leg, prosecutor Simon Denison told the court.

Chentouf was released but arrested the following day in Manchester. The memory stick contained more than 7,000 files, including an explosives manual. It was described by police as "a mini encyclopaedia of weapons making". The Crown accepted that there was no intention that Chentouf wanted to put it to use.