Student nurse who took bomb to work ‘plotted RAF base attack’

Alleged ‘lone wolf’ Islamist was arrested at hospital with device made from pressure cooker

A STUDENT nurse arrested outside a maternity hospital allegedly armed with an imitation gun and a home-made bomb was plotting a terrorist attack on an RAF base, a court heard.

Mohammad Farooq, 27, a married father of one, is accused of carrying out hostile reconnaissance at the military base, in Yorkshire, earlier this month.

Prosecutors claim Mr Farooq was inspired by radical Islam and chose the target being encouraged online to carry out a “lone wolf ” attack.

He was arrested in the early hours of Friday Jan 20 outside the maternity unit of St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, where he had been due to begin a shift as a student nurse. It is alleged he was carrying an explosive device made from a pressure cooker that contained 30lb of a home-made low-grade explosive mixture.

He was also in possession of an imitation firearm, and the court heard his actions were motivated by not by terrorism but by a grudge he held towards a member of staff. Mr Farooq is said to have told a man he “felt like killing everyone” before showing him a gun and then told police officers he had a bomb.

Mr Farooq, from Harehills, a suburb of Leeds, appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court yesterday via videolink from a police station in Bradford, to confirm his name, address and date of birth but was not asked to enter pleas to the charges he faces.

He grew up in three adjacent semidetached houses owned by his taxidriver father and mother, and was living there with two siblings, his parents, wife and son before he was arrested. Neighbours said his mother had spoken proudly about his work at the hospital.

Police raided the house he was living in at around 8am on the day of the alleged attack and more officers attended throughout the day. A bomb squad arrived in the evening.

Mr Farooq is charged with one count of engaging in conduct with the intention of committing acts of terrorism between July 12 and Jan 20. He is also charged with possessing 13.7kg of a homemade low-explosive mixture, a pressure cooker and a pyrotechnic fuse, on Jan 20, with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property and a further count of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence on the same date.

He is due to appear at the Old Bailey for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Feb 3.