Student nurse Mohammad Farooq in court on terror charge after St James's Hospital scare

A student nurse was allegedly found with a "viable" bomb outside a hospital in Leeds after plotting a terror attack on an RAF base, a court has heard.

Mohammad Farooq, 27, was allegedly inspired by radical Islam when he carried out "hostile reconnaissance" of the military base in Yorkshire in January, Westminster Magistrates Court was told.

He is said to have constructed a 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.

The hospitals Gledhow wing, which houses maternity services, had to be partially evacuated and visiting was temporarily suspended while explosives experts dealt with the incident.

Farooq, from Roundhay in Leeds, appeared at court on Friday via a video link 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.

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