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A Hitler obsessive who wanted to stage a bombing campaign to "light up the sky with burning mosques" was today branded "evil" by a judge.

Neo-Nazi Ian Forman put together home-made devices packed with nails and ball-bearings and set his sights on two places of worship.

The terror suspect downloaded pictures of mosques near his home and labelled them "targets" before making a string of YouTube posts threatening to "blow them up".

The 42-year-old stockpiled potassium nitrate, sulphur and charcoal, and drew up a shopping list of bomb components after months of internet research.

He then created computer spreadsheets for the prices of chemicals needed for homemade bombs, and where they would be stocked.

Forman, who frequently expressed his racist ideology and views against the disabled to friends and workmates, also posted on YouTube about "Mosques lighting up the sky to keep us warm in the winter".

One of the mosques he targeted was on Penny Lane in Liverpool.

A jury at Kingston Crown Court found Forman guilty of engaging in conduct in the preparation of terrorist acts.

Judge Paul Dodgson said: "The defendant had, in my judgement, very extreme and evil thoughts - I think the word evil is appropriate.

"As the jury found he at some points had the intention of carrying those evil thoughts out.

"For his sentencing there must be a message sent out by the court that this behaviour is regarded with extreme gravity.

"But, on the other hand, I must mitigate this by the acknowledgement that his intention wasn't carried out to effect."

Forman, of Oxton, Birkenhead, was first arrested last June on suspicion of possessing explosive devices.

He was then rearrested on September 5 by officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit over concerns about chemical and explosive substances at his house.

Subsequent analysis of Forman's computer and 16 mobile phones revealed his research of mosques in his local area and saved photos of them.

Jurors heard Forman also made and tested improvised explosive devices, and ran tests on black powder.

He will be sentenced next month.