Britain charges 11 in air bombing plot

LONDON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- British police Monday charged eight people being held on suspicion of plotting bomb attacks on airplanes and said they had evidence supporting the plot.

Two other people were being held for allegedly failing to disclose information and a youth was charged with possessing articles useful to a person preparing acts of terrorism.

At a news conference in London, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke gave an unusually detailed account of what had been found since the raids this month that all but stopped air traffic in Britain.

"Since Aug. 10 we have found bomb-making equipment," Clarke said "There are chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, electrical components, documents and other items.

"We have also found a number of video recordings. These are sometimes referred to as martyrdom videos," he said, referring to Muslim fundamentalist movements.

The charges filed Monday were for conspiracy to murder and the new offense of preparing acts of terrorism, the London Evening Standard reported.

Clarke said in 69 searches, police had seized 400 computers, 200 mobile phones and 8,000 computer items like memory sticks, CDs and DVDs.

Eleven other people remain in custody but have not been charged in the plot police said involving mixing liquid explosives aboard U.S.-bound aircraft.