BRITAIN'S al Qaeda 'general' visited a car dealer's East Lancashire home as he recruited a terror cell to plot mass murder, a court heard.

The UK cell set up by convicted terrorist Dhiren Barot included Blackburn man Junade Feroze, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

The court yesterday heard Barot was observed by security services visiting Feroze's home in Malham Gardens, Audley, Blackburn.

Barot, 35, recruited seven British Muslims to help him plan 9/11-style terror attacks in London and New York between 2000 and 2004.

He is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum of 30 years behind bars after admitting conspiracy to murder earlier this year.

The court heard how the plot involved using a dirty bomb to cause billions of pounds worth of damage and the 'Gas Limos Project' involved limousines packed full of gas cylinders to bring down iconic buildings or hotels.

Feroze and others from the cell were due to be sentenced today after earlier admitting conspiracy to cause explosions with Barot and others unkown between February 19, 2001, and August 4, 2004.

Defence barrister James Wood QC yesterday argued that his client Feroze, 31, a former Thai boxing champion of England, lacked intelligence and had been 'used' by Barot.

In mitigation Mr Wood said that Feroze was not an extremist but met Barot through his family's involvement in Kashmir.

His father, an immigrant from Indian Kashmir, was a central figure in the Kashmiri community in Blackburn and was for many years president of the Kashmiri Association and a member of the local labour party, the court was told.

Mr Wood said: "The struggle of the people for independence in Kashmir was the backdrop for his involvement in this conspiracy.

"It was through that he came to meet Barot. Barot expressed a commitment to the Kashmir issue. He claimed he had interests in the funding of the struggle in Kashmir."

Barot was "welcomed into the family"', according to Feroze's sister, the court was told.

Feroze, known to friends as "Butch" also went to a meeting in Blackburn about Chechnya attended by preacher-of-hate Abu Hamza.

Mr Wood said Feroze's frequent trips to London involved meeting another family member in the Cricklewood area as well as Barot.

He added: "Mr Feroze is a man with strong community ties who was well thought of as a moderate man within his community.

"He was used by Barot who was plausible and credible and who never confided the details of his plans.

"He was a gopher.

"His involvement was that of providing the most basic forms of assistance to Barot. He was a driver, a chauffeur."

Mr Wood claimed the coded emails Feroze sent using the yahoo name 'nighwithkylie' used a code supplied by Barot and were used only to set up meetings rather than discuss the plot.

Born and brought up in Blackburn, as the middle child of four sisters and two brothers, Feroze had an arranged marriage to a cousin in Pakistan at age 20, the court was told.

He now has three children aged four, eight and nine.

After his father died in 2000 he became involved in the family car garage business but at 24 he was also the English Welterweight Champion of Thai Boxing.

Barot was identified by the Security Service in June 2004 and over the next six weeks surveillance was placed on all eight suspects.

They were all arrested on the same day, August 4, 2004, two weeks after the plan for the attacks were found on a laptop in Pakistan during an anti-terrorist operation.