Student nurse appears in court accused of planning terror attack on RAF base

A student nurse allegedly found with a pressure cooker bomb outside the maternity ward of a Leeds hospital has appeared in court accused of planning a terrorist attack at an RAF base.

Mohammad Farooq, 27, was allegedly inspired by radical Islam when he carried out “hostile reconnaissance” of the military base in Yorkshire in January.

He is said to have constructed a viable bomb made from a pressure cooker, 13.7kg of a homemade low explosive mixture and a length of pyrotechnic fuse.

Farooq was arrested outside St James’s Hospital in Leeds last Friday, where he had been due to work a shift.

He was allegedly in possession of the explosive device and an imitation firearm – a Gediz 9mm P.A.K semi-automatic pistol.

Farooq, from Leeds, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday from a police station in Bradford wearing a grey tracksuit.

He did not enter pleas to charges of engaging in conduct in preparation of an act of terrorism, possessing an imitation firearm and possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.

There was no application for bail and Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody ahead of his next appearance at the Old Bailey next Friday.