THREE men helped the 7 July bombers prepare for their attack on the London transport system with a reconnaissance mission of the capital, a court heard today.

Waheed Ali, 25, Sadeer Saleem, 28, and Mohammed Shakil, 32, are said to have spent two days in the city during which they visited attractions including the Natural History Museum, the London Eye and the London Aquarium.

It is alleged the trip "was an important first step" in the plot to detonate bombs in the UK.

The trio, all from Beeston, Leeds, deny conspiring with Mohammad Sidique Khan, Shezhad Tanweer, Jermaine Lindsay and Hasib Hussain to cause explosions between 17 November 2004 and 8 July 2005.

The four suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured hundreds more when they set off bombs on London's transport network in 2005.

Neil Flewitt QC told Kingston crown court, where a re-trial started today, that there was no dispute that Khan, Tanweer, Lindsay and Hussain were behind the 7/7 bombings.

But he added: "The defendants associated with and shared the objectives of the London bombers and so were willing to assist their preparations."

The trial continues.

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