Cleared suspect 'proud I'm British'

Nabeel Hussain, 22, told Sky News: "This is all I know - this is where I've been born and bred. I still am proud to be British and Asian at the same time, and a Muslim. That is just the way it is always going to be."

Speaking in public for the first time about the trial, which saw five other men jailed for life, he added: "I never was a terrorist, I'm never going to be one. I just want to use opportunities to re-build my life."

Mr Hussain was cleared at the Old Bailey on Monday of conspiracy to cause explosions and of possessing ammonium nitrate.

Co-defendant Shujah Mahmood, 20, from Crawley, was also cleared of the conspiracy and of possessing aluminium powder.

Mr Hussain, of Horley, Surrey, said he found it "scary" that some of the convicted men had met the July bombers.

"I've just been a normal kid. I've never really had Asian friends before university," he said. "I don't see how people can justify terrorism or any extremism.

"When it comes to things like suicide bombing and extremism I was always baffled by it, and just didn't understand how you could see that as acceptable."

Asked if anyone had ever tried to radicalise his views, Mr Hussain said: "The only person I would say that comes close to things like that would be Jawad (Akbar, found guilty by a 10-2 majority and sentenced to life with a minimum of 17.5 years). He wanted me to pray more, stop going socialising so much. He wanted me to be a better Muslim."

The former student told interviewer Julie Etchingham that he had become involved with the plotters through naivety, and agreed that the plan to kill innocent people was "evil".