By Juliet Bremner, ITV News Correspondent

A 19-year-old man has appeared before magistrates charged with making an explosive substance with intent to endanger life after a viable explosive device was found on a tube station at North Greenwich.

Damon Joseph Smith appeared before the chief magistrate at Westminster Court this morning while his mother watched from the public gallery.

He was brought into court wearing a grey sweatshirt and accompanied by two plain clothed officers. He smiled and waved at his mother, who waved back.

Kathryn Selby, prosecution, said the matter was being treated "under the terrorism protocol" and opposed a bail application.

At one stage as the charges were being read to the court his mother stood up and called out "my son doesn't understand, he's got aspergers".

Smith, of Bermondsey, South London, was arrested close to the Metropolitan University in Holloway last Friday by counter terrorism officers.

The court heard that a suspicious rucksack was discovered by two members of the public on a tube train close to the O2 centre last Thursday.

When examined it allegedly contained a "viable device" which contained ball bearings that could have harmed passengers if it had gone off. It was made safe by cutting a wire.

Damon Smith and his mother moved to the capital from Newton Abbot in Devon six months ago. He enrolled at the Metropolitan University at the start of this term.

An application that Smith should be granted bail providing he lived with his grandmother in Devon was refused. He was remanded in custody until November 17th.