Man who planned to attack London gay pride march jailed for life

A man found guilty of plotting terrorist attacks on crowded central London tourist attractions including a Gay Pride march was jailed for life on Thursday.

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 29, was told he must serve at least 25 years for preparing acts of terrorism.

During his trial, Woolwich Crown Court heard how Chowdhury, from Luton north of London, divulged his plans to men he thought were his friends but who were in fact covert anti-terrorism officers.

He told them he was considering targeting crowded central London tourist attractions and a Pride in London event, police said in a statement.

"He also told them of a dream he had, that he and a prison inmate carried out an attack on an open-top bus, which police believe was in fact something Chowdhury was planning to do," the statement added.

The court had earlier heard that Chowdhury had been cleared of preparing to commit an act of terrorism in December 2018 after waving a sword at police outside Queen Elizabeth's residence of Buckingham Palace.

"Mohiussunnath Chowdhury posed a very real threat to the lives of innocent people," said Commander Richard Smith, head of London police Counter Terrorism Command.