Vivid film captures moment two 21/7 suspected bombers were arrested

Muktar Said Ibrahim

Ramzi Mohammed

Dramatic footage of the moment two alleged July 21 suicide bombers were arrested by armed police has been shown in court.

Wearing only their underpants, Muktar Said Ibrahim and Ramzi Mohammed emerged onto the balcony of a seventh-floor west London flat with their hands above their heads.

• Video: Watch the footage of the two arrests

• Video: Moment 21/7 'bomber' fled in a burka

Police had earlier blown the front door off its hinges and thrown CS gas canisters through windows to try and make them come out, Woolwich Crown Court was told.

Firearms officers wearing helmets and flack jackets could be seen filing along the balcony while smoke billowed out of the property before the men came out.

The nine woman, three man jury was shown a four-minute film of the two-and-a-half hour armed police operation at Mohammed's Delgarno Gardens flat on the morning of July 29, 2005.

After receiving intelligence, firearms officers were deployed to the flat at 11.05am, the court heard.

At 12.10pm the door was blown off.

At 12.37pm and 12.45pm gas canisters were thrown into the front of the building.

At 1.34pm gas was thrown into the back of the flat.

At 1.37pm alleged Number 26 bus bomber Ibrahim emerged followed by Mohammed, the alleged Oval bomber. Both were later arrested.

The firearms commander at the scene, who can only be identified as Whisky Alpha, told the jury that officers continually tried to negotiate with the two men, but they received no response.

He said: "For everyone's safety we required them to come out with nothing physically about themselves, to dress down to their underwear."

"Purple Four (another officer) said to Ibrahim: 'Is there anything in there that could hurt us?'

"He replied: 'What, like explosives?'

"Purple Four: 'Yes, anything like that.'

"Ibrahim: No, nothing like that'."

During cross-examination, George Carter-Stephenson QC, for Ibrahim, asked Whisky Alpha whether anyone heard one of the men say: "Why are you shooting at my flat?"

The officer replied: "I never heard anyone say anything."

The barrister continued: "Did you hear anything which indicated they were in fear of being shot by police officers?"

Whisky Alpha replied: "My officers gave them all the reassurances that were required.

"I was adamant they should be treated safely."

Mr Carter-Stephenson continued, referring to the death of Jean Charles de Menezes: "This was a number of days after a Brazilian had been shot at Stockwell Tube station. No doubt that was something that was on your mind at that time?"

The officer: "Of course, my concerns were for the public, for my officers, with the balcony."

Six men are accused of plotting to carry out a series of murderous explosions on the London transport system using homemade hydrogen peroxide and chapatti flour rucksack devices.

They are Yassin Omar, 26, of New Southgate, north London; Hussain Osman, 28, formally of no fixed address; Ibrahim, 29, of Stoke Newington, north London; Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 33, of no fixed address; Mohammed, 25, of North Kensington, west London; and Adel Yahya, 24, of High Road, Tottenham, north London.

They all deny charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life.

What's on today   What's on tomorrow

Receive our newsletter