Britain has a very large problem: Bomb plot suspect sold poisoned burgers.

AN ISLAMIST terrorist sold poisoned burgers from a street-corner van and planned to contaminate beer at a football stadium, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.

The alleged extremist, one of seven on trial for plotting to blow up British targets, was also said to have suggested poisoning takeaway food and sabotaging BT.

The claim was made by an American supergrass [a police informer] said to have links to al-Qaeda, testifying against his alleged former accomplices. He said another defendant attended a talk given by Abu Hamza al-Masri, the jailed cleric, where “video wills” made by the September 11 attackers were praised.

In his second day of evidence, Mohammed Babar described his first meetings in Pakistan with three of the men, accused of conspiring to cause an explosion in Britain.

He said his initial contact with Waheed Mahmood, 34, from Crawley, was via the internet. Babar’s e-mail address was pleasureofallah. yahoo.com.

Babar, the key prosecution witness, then met Mr Mahmood at the latter’s house in Pakistan, with other British men including Salahuddin Amin, 31, of Luton, and Anthony Garcia, 24, of Ilford, East London, who are also on trial.

Fired up for jihad (holy war), the men were said to be keen to fight in Afghanistan but were told by Mr Mahmood that this was not possible — the country was closed to foreigners.

Mr Mahmood, who worked for Transco National Grid, then allegedly gave examples of possible British targets to his accomplices. Some were intended to cause maximum financial damage by hitting utilities or telecommunication plants.

The court was told that other suggestions included taking a job as a beer-seller at a football stadium, smuggling in poison in a syringe. Babar said Mr Mahmood claimed that he had already sold toxic burgers from a mobile van. Another plan was to distribute leaflets for a fictional take-away restaurant, then deliver poisoned food to houses.