Bomb Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder

Hussain Osman was tonight charged with a series of terrorist-related offences in connection with the failed July 21 London attacks after being extradited from Italy.

The 27-year-old arrived in a private charter jet which touched down at RAF Northolt, north-west London, at 1.39pm. Detectives from Scotland Yard's extradition unit were on the plane with him.

He was immediately arrested and driven away in a convoy to the high security Paddington Green police station.

Tonight, Mr Osman was formally charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and two explosives offences under the Explosive Substances Act.

He will appear tomorrow morning at Bow Street magistrates' court, sitting at the high security Belmarsh complex in south-east London, to answer the allegations.

Mr Osman - known as Hamdi Isaac in Italy - is accused of attempting to blow himself up on a tube train at Shepherd's Bush, west London.

The failed July 21 attacks on three tube trains and a bus came exactly two weeks after 52 people were murdered in four suicide blasts on the capital's transport network.

Mr Osman travelled to Italy after the attempted attacks and was arrested a week later. His return to Britain is seen as a trial of the new "fast-track" system of European arrest warrants designed to speed up extradition cases.

The details of Mr Osman's extradition were a highly guarded secret. His Italian lawyer, Antoinetta Sonnessa, said even her client did not know exactly when he would be returned to Britain.

Sources in Rome said the Ethiopia-born suspect had been taken from his cell at the high security Rebibbia jail on the outskirts of the city to Ciampino airport just after 9am this morning. The private charter plane took off at around 11.15am for RAF Northolt.

During questioning by Italian police, Mr Osman claimed his "bomb" had been packed with flour and was meant to scare people, but not harm them.

Italian judges agreed to extradite him last month, but Ms Sonnessa appealed and said he was unlikely to receive a fair trial in the UK. The appeal failed on September 13, giving the authorities 10 days to organise his return.

Although the attempted July 21 bombings did not cause any casualties, they brought chaos to London. The three other alleged would-be suicide bombers have already been charged over the incident.

They are Ibrahim Muktar Said, 27, of Stoke Newington, north London; Ramzi Mohamed, 23, of North Kensington, west London; and 24-year-old Yassin Omar, of New Southgate, north London.

All three are charged with conspiracy to murder and making or possessing an explosive with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury on July 21.

Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 32, of Finsbury Park, north London, was also charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life.

The men had been expected to appear next month, but will now be brought before the court on December 8.