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Four men plotted to kill a police officer or a soldier in Islamic State -inspired terrorist attacks on the streets of London, a court has heard today.

Nathan Cuffy, 26, Nyall Hamlett, 25, Suhaib Majeed, 21, and Tarik Hassane, 22, are on trial for conspiracy to murder and preparation of terrorist acts.

The men allegedly planned to use a moped and a handgun with a silencer after swearing allegiance to extremist terror group Islamic State.

One of the defendants, Hassane, searched Google Streetview for a police station and an army barracks in the days before his arrest, The Old Bailey heard.

The court was told the medical student ran the plot and issued instructions to Majeed, who was a physics student at one of London's most prestigious universities.

(Image: SWNS)

When police arrested the British Muslims, all from west London, in the autumn of 2014 they scuppered the murderous plans borne out of a "warped ideology", jurors were told.

The plot had already got to the stage where a gun and ammunition had been acquired and there was discussion about buying a moped, jurors were told.

Opening the prosecution case, Brian Altman QC told jurors: "With their arrests, the police successfully disrupted a plot to kill a police officer, a soldier or possibly even a civilian, in one or more terrorist attacks, which, if the plot had been allowed to run its course, would have resulted in a terrorist murder or murders on the streets of London."

The defendants were allegedly influenced by events in Syria and Iraq and the rise of Islamic State of Levant which in June of that year had renamed itself Islamic State and pronounced itself as a caliphate.

(Image: PA)

Hassane had pledged his allegiance to IS and the plot received "important direct and authoritative encouragement" from IS itself in September 2014 in the form of a speech on YouTube from the IS official spokesman, the Old Bailey heard.

In it, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami issued a fatwa to kill disbelievers in the West.

Mr Altman went on: "Although the finer details of the plot may not have been worked out and finally agreed upon, the defendants had sufficiently advanced their plans to the point where, the day before the first arrests in late September 2014, they had acquired a self-loading pistol, a magazine with ammunition suitable for use in it and a silencer.

(Image: Rod Allday)

"The evidence suggests that Hassane and Majeed were discussing the purchase also of a moped that could not be traced back to them, as well as a garage to store the moped with the gun.

"They were also trying to source the money to buy the moped. At one stage they spoke about needing to find £2,000."

All but Hassane, who was studying in Sudan, were arrested in September 2014.

On his return, evidence suggested Hassane was pressing on with the plot as a "lone wolf terrorist".

In the days before his arrest on October 7, he had carried out "hostile reconnaissance" by searching Google Streetview for Shepherd's Bush police station and the Parachute Regiment Territorial Army Barracks at White City, jurors heard.

(Image: PA)

Mr Altman said: "So the evidence points to this being a plot to kill, a plot to execute a policeman or a soldier or as I say even an ordinary member of the public in one or more assassinations either involving a drive-by shooting or a shooting on foot and then a speedy escape by moped."

Medical student Hassane ran the plot and issued instructions to Majeed, the court heard.

Majeed, who was studying physics at King's College London, was an "essential cog" in secret communications, the prosecutor said.

Hamlett worked for a cleaning company and Cuffy had a job at The Money Shop at the time of the alleged plot.

Cuffy supplied the weapon, ammunition and silencer, Mr Altman said.

(Image: Google)

When his home was searched, police found a stash of four guns and a variety of ammunition in his bedroom.

Cuffy has previously pleaded guilty to some firearms offences but the prosecution say that is not the limit of his guilt.

Hamlett was the alleged "middle man" between Cuffy and the other conspirators, passing on a weapon to Majeed. He has admitted transferring the gun and ammunition.

There are believed to be more plotters involved who are not in the dock, the court heard.

The men have all denied conspiracy to murder.

They have also pleaded not guilty to preparing acts of terrorism between July and October 2014.

Some of the defendants have also pleaded not guilty to various firearm offences.