Council "cleared away bomb plot chemical"

2:33pm Tuesday 10th June 2008

A HIGH Wycombe terror suspect lost chemicals needed to make an explosive in woodland and had to look up how to dig a hole, a jury was told.

Assad Sarwar, 28, said the hydrogen peroxide had been removed by council workmen clearing King's Wood in High Wycombe.

Sarwar, accused of plotting to blow up airliners with seven other men, also said he had to look up how to dig a hole after finding the ground too hard to bury a suitcase.

The former postman, of Walton Drive, High Wycombe, said: "I went to King's Wood, noticed there was some deforestation. The council came in to clear the pathways.

"I had a good search round, couldn't find it, thought that the council must have took it away."

He told the court he bought the chemicals when he went to Bristol in April 2006 to collect an exercise bike he had bought through internet auction site Ebay for 99p.

During the trip he decided to buy the HP, which the prosecution alleges he intended to use to create explosive substance HMTD.

Sarwar said: "Wales was nearby. I've never been to Wales before, so I decided to take that opportunity and go and see Wales and also purchase the HP."

Malcolm Bishop QC, for the defence, asked him: "Did you use your correct name?"

Sarwar replied: "No, I used a false name because obviously we knew it was used for making explosives. I decided to cover my tracks."

The prosecution alleges the men were plotting to blow up transatlantic flights in mid-air by smuggling explosives aboard aircraft disguised as drinks bottles.

But Sarwar and Ali deny this, saying they were planning a publicity stunt involving a harmless "small" explosion to create "mass media attention".

They discussed targeting the Houses of Parliament and later airports and Sarwar said he suggested spraying grafitti in London detailing their opposition to British foreign policy.

He said: "I had experience before, I was a graffiti artist."

He added: "Ali laughed at that and said it was kind of ridiculous. I thought it was all right."

They discussed attacking Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Birmingham airports as well as gas terminals and oil refineries, he said.

He said he learned how to make HMTD from a friend in Kashmir, Pakistan, when he visited the country in June 2006 to look for a bride.

Sarwar said: "I told him we'd already purchased some ingredients, really didn't know how to manufacture HMTD. He said he could teach me."

Yet he said he had problems digging a hole where he planned to store the ingredients in the days leading up to his arrest.

He said that on July 31, he went into King's Wood from Micklefield Road to look for a hiding place to bury a suitcase.

He explained he intended to fill it with the equipment and chemicals needed to produce HMTD.

Sarwar said he marked the spot next to a tree with an empty green plastic carrier bag, and then marked out a route to an entrance to the woods next to The Dolphin Pub in Totteridge Lane.

This was the closest entrance to his house in Walton Drive, he said.

The next day he got up at around 4am to bury the suitcase, using a spade he bought the previous day, the court heard.

Sarwar said: "When I entered King's Wood I attempted to dig a hole, but the ground was very hard so I found it difficult to dig any hole.

"I tried for a good half an hour. I left the spade there - I decided to return back home.

"When I got there, I conducted research on the internet on how to dig a hole. I came across a few items, digging tools on the internet, I thought that might be some use."

The court also heard Sarwar looked at renting a garage in which to hide the chemicals.

He had also started looking for flats in Maidenhead and Slough because he wanted to move out of High Wycombe.

The eight defendants deny conspiracy to murder and endanger aircraft. The trial continues.