Airline jury given majority guide

The trial has lasted more than three months

The jury in the trial of eight men accused of plotting to blow up planes has been directed to give a majority verdict by the judge.

Prosecutors say the men planned to smuggle liquid bombs on to jets flying from Heathrow to North America.

The men deny two charges, which have been amended, of conspiracy to murder between 1 January and 11 August 2006.

Mr Justice Calvert-Smith sent the jury out at Woolwich Crown Court to consider its verdicts on 28 July.

Three defendants have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain pleaded guilty to plotting an explosion for political purposes.

They and four of their fellow defendants Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Waheed Khan, Waheed Zaman and Umar Islam also admitted conspiring to cause a public nuisance by making videos threatening bombings.

The defendants are: Mr Ali, aka Ahmed Ali Khan, 27, of Walthamstow, London; Mr Sarwar, 28, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire; Mr Hussain, 27, of Leyton, east London, and Mohammed Gulzar, 26, of Barking, London.

Also charged, are Mr Savant, 27, of Stoke Newington, north London, Mr Khan, 26, of Walthamstow, Mr Zaman, 24, of Walthamstow and Mr Islam, aka Brian Young, 30, of Plaistow, east London.