Members of a terrorist cell who dubbed themselves the "Three Musketeers" have been found guilty of plotting a Lee Rigby-style attack following a partly-secret trial plagued by accusations of police corruption.

The partly-secret Old Bailey trial, which was plagued by accusations of police corruption, heard that the gang, from the West Midlands, were poised to strike police and military targets on British soil.

They were arrested in August last year after MI5 bugged the car of Naweed Ali and uncovered a pipe bomb and meat cleaver hidden in a JD Sports bag.

Ali, 29, Khobaib Hussain, 25, and Mohibur Rahman, 33, claimed the incriminating evidence was planted by an undercover officer known as Vincent, who posed as the boss of a fake firm called Hero Couriers.

But all three were unanimously found guilty after the jury deliberated for 22 hours.

A fourth defendant, Tahir Aziz, 38, was found also found guilty of preparing terrorist acts after the jury deliberated for another 20 minutes.

Mr Justice Globe remanded them in custody until sentencing on Thursday morning.

Following the guilty verdicts, Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Ward, head of West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "Today's case was about four very dangerous extremists who were plotting to carry out a terror attack in the UK.

"Today the communities of the Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham should feel relieved that they are much safer with these four dangerous individuals now going to spend a long time behind bars."