A white supremacist arrested by chance at a railway station turned out to be “on the cusp” of launching a campaign of terrorism, a court heard today.

Neil Lewington had developed a bomb factory in his bedroom at his parents’ home and aimed to target “those he considered non-British”, jurors were told.

He had an “unhealthy interest” in the London nail bomber David Copeland, America’s Unabomber and Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh.

Mr Lewington, 43, was arrested at Lowestoft station in Suffolk last year after abusing a female train conductor. He was found to be carrying the component parts of two “viable improvised incendiary devices”.

Later searches of his home revealed a notebook entitled “Waffen SS UK members’ handbook” containing drawings of electronics and chemical mixtures.

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC said: “The effect of these finds is to prove that this man who had strong if not fanatical right wing leanings and opinions was on the cusp of embarking on a campaign of terrorism against those he considered non-British.”

Mr Lewington had travelled up to see a woman in Lowestoft in October last year and was arrested after drinking and smoking on the train and urinating in public, the Old Bailey heard.

He was arrested for a public order offence at the station and his hold-all bag was searched, the court heard.

Mr Altman said: “The defendant had in his possession the component parts of two viable improvised incendiary devices.

“He had the parts which, if assembled together, would have created devices which if ignited would have caught alight and caused flames and fire.

“Later searches of the house where the defendant lived with his parents in Reading, in particular his own bedroom, revealed nothing short of a factory for the production of many such similar devices.

“In addition to all of that the police discovered evidence that the defendant sympathised with and quite clearly adhered to white supremacist and racist views.”

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