Three on 7 July terror charges

They're the first people to be charged over the 7 July London bombings. Three men have been accused of conspiring with the suicide bombers to target sites across the capital.

Mohammed Shakil, Sadeer Saleem and Waheed Ali are all from the Leeds suburb of Beeston, where three of the bombers had strong connections.

Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism chief, Peter Clarke, said more arrests were "highly likely", insisting it was only a matter of time before the police uncovered the full truth about the attacks, which left 52 people dead.

It was the most deadly terrorist attack in the UK. Today, 638 days after the launch of probably the most extensive anti terrorist investigation ever, no questions were allowed - just a statement. But it was a statement to mark a hugely significant event.

They all face the same charge of unlawfully conspiring with the four bombers - Mohammed Siddiq Khan, Shezhad Tanweer, Jermaine Lindsay and Hasib Hussein - and others, to cause explosions on the Transport for London system and/or tourist attractions in London, of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury. The sites are not specified.

In fact the charge spans a seven-month period up to 29 June 2005, eight days before the attacks which killed 52 people and injured 966.

But in the words of the police, it remains a far from complete picture of the scale of organisation behind the bombings.

The three charged were arrested 16 days ago. Two were about to leave the country. On Saturday they will become the first to appear in court to be formally indicted for 7 July.

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