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A man charged with planning a terror attack in London has appeared in court.

Lewis Ludlow, 26, is accused of researching potential targets, engaging in reconnaissance, and writing out attack plans.

Mr Ludlow, of Warren Wood Road in Rochester, Kent, is also accused of attempting to travel to join the Islamic State group and of raising money for terrorist purposes.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody.

When the charges were read, Mr Ludlow said in response to each one: "I declare myself innocent of that charge."

He will appear at the Old Bailey on 11 May. </s> Image copyright Social media Image caption Lewis Ludlow is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 11 May

A man charged with planning London terror attacks has appeared in court.

Lewis Ludlow, 26, from Kent, is accused of researching potential targets, engaging in reconnaissance, and writing out attack plans.

The BBC understands Oxford Street and Madame Tussauds were among his potential targets.

Mr Ludlow, of Warren Wood Road in Rochester, appeared before Westminster magistrates and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 11 May.

He is also accused of attempting to travel to join the Islamic State group and of raising money for terrorist purposes.

When the charges were read, Mr Ludlow said in response to each one: "I declare myself innocent of that charge." </s> A man has pleaded guilty to plotting a terror attack in London and raising money for terrorism.

Lewis Ludlow, 26, from Rochester, Kent, appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from HMP Belmarsh.

He pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to travel to the Philippines for terrorist purposes. The charge will remain on file.

Ludlow had sworn an oath of allegiance to the so-called Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.

He had been involved with the banned extremist group Al Muhajiroun.

He is due to be sentenced at a later date. </s> Image copyright Social media Image caption Lewis Ludlow appeared at the Old Bailey via a videolink from prison

A man has pleaded guilty to plotting a terror attack on London's Oxford Street and raising money for terrorism.

Lewis Ludlow, 26, planned to hire a van and hit pedestrians and also targeted Madame Tussauds and St Paul's Cathedral, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey and is due to be sentenced on 2 November.

Ludlow, who also used the name Ali Hussain, had hoped to kill up to 100 people.

A spokesman for the CPS said he had been under 24-hour armed police surveillance.

Ludlow, from Rochester, Kent, first came to the attention of police in 2010 when he attended a demonstration led by radical preacher Anjem Choudary and his banned Al-Muhajiroun group.

When Ludlow was arrested in 2015, Islamic State group material was found on his electronic devices but no further action was taken.

He had also been in contact with Junaid Hussain, an IS fighter from the UK who was killed in drone strike in 2016, the prosecution said.

Police also observed Ludlow at Al-Muhajiroun group demonstrations, where he was seen with, or near, Anjem Choudary and Lee Rigby's killer Michael Adebowale.

Image copyright CPS Image caption Ludlow claimed he was travelling to the Philippines as a sex tourist

In January, Ludlow bought a ticket to fly to the Philippines but he was stopped at the airport and his passport seized.

He claimed he was going to the country as a sex tourist but was found to have been in communication with a man named Abu Yaqeen in an area with a significant IS presence.

In March, Ludlow sent him money via PayPal and created the Facebook account Antique Collections, which he was alleged to have used as a front to send money to south-east Asia for terrorism.

On 16 March, Ludlow went online to establish whether there was a police station on Oxford Street, before setting out to take pictures of the shopping area.

He took a picture near to the Oxford Circus Tube station and then a second one outside the Disney store.

Later he photographed Madame Tussauds and a bus shelter map of the area around the tourist attraction.

The images were stored in an encrypted application on his phone shared among IS supporters.

Image copyright CPS Image caption Ludlow made detailed notes of possible targets in London

When police searched Ludlow's home, they also found torn-up notes detailing when the targets would be the busiest.

The first note read: "Madame Tussads [sic]. Oxford street busiest time between 11 - 12 particularly Fridays. St Paul's Cathedral. Shia temple... Further locations scouted for the Kil [sic]."

A second read: "Crowded London Areas, Oxford Street - long road with no bollards or barriers preventing a van mounting the pavement. Busiest time is between 11am - 12pm with Saturday being the busiest day.

"It is a busy street it is ideal for an attack. It is expected nearly 100 could be killed in the attack."

Two further notes referred to accommodation and van rental.

In a communication found on one of his phones Ludlow, who did not hold a driving licence, said: "Driving isn't easy Only reason why I never learnt is because its expensive plus a bit scared of crashing."

Image copyright AFP Image caption Ludlow took photos of Oxford Street

Image copyright CPS Image caption He also travelled to Madame Tussauds on Baker Street

The CPS spokesman said: "A mobile phone belonging to Ludlow was found in the storm drain of his home and contained photographs he had taken in March on a trip to London.

The phone also contained videos in which Ludlow stated his hatred of unbelievers and his desire to establish Sharia law.

Ludlow, who appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from HMP Belmarsh, also pleaded guilty to setting up Facebook and Paypal accounts which the CPS said he used to fund fighters based in the Philippines.

He had been previously questioned by police about his links to Anjem Choudary and the banned Al-Muhajiron group.

Ludlow also admitted raising funds for terrorist purposes but denied preparing a plan to travel to the Philippines to join jihadists there. That charge will remain on file. </s> A Muslim convert has pleaded guilty to plotting to kill around 100 people in a terror attack outside the Disney Store on London's Oxford Street.

Today a court heard how Lewis Ludlow swore allegiance to Islamic State as he prepared to drive a van through London's shopping district or Madame Tussauds.

The 26-year-old bought a phone between March 15 and April 19, under a false name and wrote down his attack plans - which were later found ripped up in a bin.

He also researched potential targets around the capital, van rental and hotel accommodation.

He identified Oxford Street as an "ideal" target, writing: "It is expected nearly 100 could be killed in the attack".

Ludlow, from Rochester, in Kent, formulated his plan after being stopped by police at Heathrow airport in February as he attempted to board a flight to the Philippines.

It was alleged he also set up a Facebook account called Antique Collections as a front to send money to south east Asia for terrorism.

The defendant was due to face trial in the autumn on two charges of preparing acts of terrorism and one of terror funding.

But at a hearing before Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC at the Old Bailey, he pleaded guilty to plotting an attack in the UK and funding IS abroad.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said it would not be in the public interest to pursue a trial on a charge of attempting to join IS in the Philippines which the defendant denied.

That charge will lie on the court file. </s> LONDON — A Muslim convert pleaded guilty Friday to plotting an Islamic State group-inspired van attack on crowds in London's busy Oxford Street shopping district.

During a hearing at London's Central Criminal Court, Lewis Ludlow admitted preparing acts of terrorism and fundraising for the militant group.

Prosecutors say the 26-year-old wrote down his attack plans, saying Oxford Street was an "ideal" target because it was busy and "it is expected nearly 100 could be killed."

Police found the notes ripped up in a garbage bin and pieced them together. Ludlow's list of "potential attack sites" also included the Madame Tussauds wax museum, St Paul's Cathedral and a Shia temple in Romford, east London.

Evidence recovered from Lewis's phone included a video of him swearing allegiance to IS and pictures of crowded areas, which prosecutors said were taken during "hostile reconnaissance."

Ludlow, from Rochester in southern England, was stopped at Heathrow Airport in February as he tried to board a flight to the Philippines, where prosecutors say he planned to join IS militants. They say he later plotted to attack London, and allegedly set up a Facebook account called Antique Collections as a front to send money to militants in the Philippines.

Lewis, who was arrested on April 18, admitted preparing terrorist acts and funding terrorism. </s> LONDON (AP) - A Muslim convert has pleaded guilty to plotting a van attack on crowds in London’s busy Oxford Street shopping district.

During a court appearance Friday, Lewis Ludlow admitted preparing acts of terrorism and fundraising for the Islamic State group.

Prosecutors say the 26-year-old wrote down his attack plans, saying Oxford Street was an “ideal” target and “it is expected nearly 100 could be killed.” Police found the notes ripped up in a garbage bin.

Ludlow, from Rochester in southern England, was stopped at Heathrow Airport in February as he tried to board a flight to the Philippines, where prosecutors say he planned to join IS militants. They say he later plotted to attack London, but was arrested April 18.

Judge Nicholas Hilliard says Ludlow will be sentenced on Nov. 2. </s> LONDON (Reuters) - A Muslim convert has admitted plotting to kill more than 100 people by driving a truck into pedestrians in London's Oxford Street, the capital's major shopping thoroughfare.

Lewis Ludlow, 26, had planned to rent the vehicle and plough it into shoppers at the bustling retail district, which attracts large numbers of tourists, during the busiest time of the week, prosecutors said.

He had also considered attacking London's Madame Tussauds wax museum and St Paul's Cathedral.

"Lewis Ludlow considers himself a soldier fighting for Daesh (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) in the UK," Deb Walsh from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in a statement on Friday (Aug 10).

"To that end, he planned to drive a van into shoppers at Oxford Street hoping to kill over 100 people. He is a serious danger to the public and accepted his guilt when faced with the prosecution's case against him."

The CPS said Ludlow's mobile phone was found in the storm drain of his home in Rochester, southeast of London, which had photographs showing he had carried out hostile reconnaissance in central London. There was also a picture of a handwritten oath of allegiance to Islamic State (IS).

It also had videos in which Ludlow called himself "the Eagle", and spoke of his hatred of non-believers.

He was under 24-hour armed police surveillance when he was arrested and a number of torn-up notes which were found suggested Ludlow was actively involved in preparing an attack, with information about the cost of hotels near Oxford Street and renting a truck, prosecutors said.

He pleaded guilty at London's Old Bailey court to preparing to commit acts of terrorism as well as setting up Facebook and Paypal accounts to fund ISIS fighters based in the Philippines. He will be sentenced on Nov 2. </s> An alleged ISIS fanatic accused of plotting to assassinate Theresa May in an attack on Downing Street has denied a terror charge.

In a hearing at the Old Bailey this morning, Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, pleaded not guilty to preparing acts of terrorism.

He was arrested on November 28 last year, and prosecutors alleged that he carried out reconnaissance of the target location, recorded a pledge of allegiance, and purchased a rucksack.

According to the charge, he delivered the rucksack and jacket to be fitted with an improvised explosive device, and collected it "with a view to committing attacks against persons in the UK".

The defendant, of Finchley, north London, also allegedly assisted Mohammad Aqib Imran, 22, in his terrorism plans.

On or before November 28, Rahman recorded and sent to Imran "a sponsorship video in order for him to be accepted by Islamic State", the charge says.

Imran, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, allegedly tried to join IS, and is charged with preparing acts of terrorism.

His charge alleges that he saved money to pay for a fake passport and travel to Libya, and sent two photos of his passport data to secure a fake passport.

He carried out online research into travel options and terrorist publications and had an IS-sponsorship video sent by Rahman, the charge says.

He also downloaded How To Survive In The West - A Mujahid's Guide 2015, it is claimed.

Rahman and Imran were arrested in raids by the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command in London and Birmingham.

The pair appeared at the Old Bailey before Mr Justice Haddon-Cave via video-link from Belmarsh Prison.

They spoke only to confirm their identities and enter not-guilty pleas.

They were remanded in custody ahead of their trial at the Old Bailey on June 18.

He sat cross-legged on a chair next to his co-defendant, who has long curly hair and a beard and wore a pink sweatshirt and grey trousers.
ISIL suspect Lewis Ludlow makes an initial appearance before Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of plotting a terror attack in London. He denies the offences and the case is transferred to the Old Bailey.