One of the men accused of plotting to bomb Britain claimed to be working for a high-ranking al-Qaida figure and offered to organise explosives training, the Old Bailey heard.

Supergrass Mohammed Babar described two meetings with Omar Khyam, from Crawley, in early 2003 - one in the middle of a wedding - while they were both in Pakistan.

Babar told the court he had to leave the wedding after receiving a call from another of the alleged plotters, Waheed Mahmood, also from Crawley, saying they needed to see him "right away".

Despite being one of the witnesses at the ceremony in Lahore in March of that year, Babar said he went to see Khyam, also known as Ausman, and Mahmood at the city's railway station.

Khyam allegedly told him: "We are working for Abdul Hadi." The court had earlier heard Hadi described as number three in al-Qaida.

Babar said when Khyam said "we", he took it to mean the others in the group, including Waheed and another of the defendants, Salahuddin Amin.

The supergrass described a second encounter with Khyam when he allegedly said he knew someone who could offer them explosives training.

Khyam mentioned there were "brothers" who were using aluminium powder and refined sugar, Babar alleged.

The American said: "Although they did not say, I was under the impression that it was Ausman (Khyam) and Waheed who were offering the training."

Babar, who has immunity from prosecution, was giving evidence in the case of seven men accused of plotting explosions in the UK. They all deny the charges.

The seven are: Khyam, 24, Shujah Mahmood, 19, Waheed Mahmood, 34, and Jawad Akbar, 22, all from Crawley, Salahuddin Amin, 31, from Luton, Anthony Garcia, 23, from Ilford, and Nabeel Hussain, 20, from Horley.

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

Khyam, Garcia and Hussain also deny a charge under the Terrorism Act of possessing 1,300lb of ammonium nitrate fertiliser for terrorism. Khyam and Shujah Mahmood further deny possessing aluminium powder for terrorism. The trial continues.