Jury shown impact of 'airline bombs'

LONDON - A jury was shown video footage on Tuesday of what prosecutors said would have been the devastating impact of liquid explosives a group of men were planning to use to blow up transatlantic airliners.

Eight Britons are on trial accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic airliners mid-flight. The court has heard that the men planned to use liquid explosives hidden in soft drink bottles to carry out their plan.

On Tuesday, the court was shown video footage of controlled explosions using replica bombs made from the same ingredients that the men are accused of compiling.

The explosions cracked protective glass, sent debris flying across the room, and blew panels off the wall.

The eight British citizens on trial at the maximum security Woolwich Crown Court in east London, are Abdullah Ahmad Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 27, Tanvir Hussain, 27, Mohammed Gulzar, 26, Ibrahim Savant, 27, Arafat Khan, 26, Waheed Zaman, 23, and Umar Islam, 29. All are charged with conspiracy to murder.

They are also accused of plotting "to commit an act of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft". They deny the charges and the trial continues.