A British al Qaida terrorist was convicted today of plotting a series of deadly bomb attacks on targets in the UK.

Omar Khyam, who boasted of working for the number three in al Qaida, was found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions made from chemical fertiliser which would endanger life.

Khyam, 25, of Crawley, West Sussex, had denied the charge at the Old Bailey during a year-long trial.

Seven British men were arrested in March 2004 following the discovery of more than half a ton of chemical fertiliser in storage in west London.

Today four of them were convicted with Khyam of involvement in the plot.

The prosecution said the men were involved in a plot to bomb targets in Britain, including the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent and the Ministry of Sound nightclub in London, and to hit gas and electricity supplies.

Prosecutor David Waters QC said not everyone involved in the plot was before the court.

The terror cell was said to have schemed with Canadian Mohammed Momin Khawaja and American Mohammed Junaid Babar.

Before the court with Khyam were his brother Shujah Mahmood, 20; Waheed Mahmood, 35; and Jawad Akbar, 23, all from Crawley, West Sussex; Anthony Garcia, 25, of Barkingside, east London; Nabeel Hussain, 22, of Horley, Surrey; and Salahuddin Amin, 32, of Luton, Bedfordshire.

They denied conspiring to cause explosions likely to endanger life between January 1 2003 and March 31 2004.

Khyam, Garcia and Hussain also denied a charge under the Terrorism Act of possessing 600kgs (1,300lbs) of ammonium nitrate fertiliser for terrorism.

Khyam and Shujah Mahmood further denied possessing aluminium powder for terrorism.

The defendants denied there was a plot. Some said they did not know what the fertiliser was, that they were only interested in sending money and supplies to fighters in Kashmir and Afghanistan, or that they were duped.

The jury of seven men and five women were out for a record number of days and were in the seventh week of deliberations.