Seven face bomb plot retrial

Seven British men accused of plotting to blow up passenger planes over the Atlantic with liquid bombs could face a retrial.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain were found guilty of conspiracy to murder after a five month trial but the jury was unable to return verdicts on a series of other charges against them and another four men - Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan, Waheed Zaman and Umar Islam.

The prosecution claimed the men had planned to detonate bombs concealed in soft drink cartons on planes in mid flight between the UK and North America.

The CPS now wants a retrial on every count the jury, which was discharged on Monday, had failed to agree on.

Director of public prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald QC said: "This will include a count that each defendant conspired to detonate improvised explosive devices on transatlantic passenger aircraft. We shall be returning to court to make this application in due course."

The jury was unable to come to a decision on whether the seven men had conspired to detonate explosives on aircraft.

All seven had also been charged with conspiracy to murder, but although three were found guilty the jury was unable to reach a verdicts on the other four men, and they may face a retrail on that count.

The men had all pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, but none have been sentenced.

The court heard allegations that the men planned to evade security at Heathrow by taking liquid explosives on to planes in soft drinks containers. Police claimed the plot had been inspired by al-Qaeda. After the men were arrested in August 2006, sweeping airport restrictions on liquids and gels in hand luggage were introduced.