Alfie Coleman was just 19 when he was caught in an MI5 sting trying to buy a Makarov semi-automatic pistol, five magazines and 200 rounds of ammunition, with £3,500 saved from his part-time supermarket job.

The Old Bailey heard he branded some of his former fellow staff and shoppers "race traitors" for having partners who were not white, in a list of people who had "upset him", alongside their number plates.

One entry named a checkout-worker, whose husband was mixed race, along with the make and colour of her car, and a description of her as having "short blonde hair with bits of pink in it".

Prosecutors said he believed in an extreme right-wing ideology which included idolising Adolf Hitler and the likes of Thomas Mair, who murdered the MP Jo Cox in a gun and knife attack in 2016.

Counterterrorism officers said Coleman, from the village of Great Notley, in Essex, was trying to buy automatic weapons, which suggested he planned to carry out a mass shooting, with possible targets including mosques.

He had unwittingly been talking to undercover MI5 agents for months on encrypted messaging apps before he was surrounded by officers armed with Tasers in a Morrisons car park in Stratford on 29 September 2023.

Video footage shows him drop to his knees and lie flat on the ground being handcuffed in front of shocked shoppers seconds after he left cash in the front passenger seat footwell of a Land Rover Discovery and collected a holdall from the boot containing the deactivated pistol.

Coleman, now 21, previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to possess a prohibited firearm and ammunition, as well as 10 counts of possession of material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

They included documents such as the White Resistance Manual, The Terrorist Explosives Handbook and 21 Techniques Of Silent Killing.

But he denied he was plotting a terror attack and a jury failed to reach a verdict on the count last year after Coleman said he was now "embarrassed" and "cringing" about the views he expressed.

His barrister Tana Adkin KC said he was a "lonely teenager", who became isolated during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and although he was "obsessed with getting a gun", he was never going to kill anyone.

But Coleman was found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism after a retrial.

Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan, of the Metropolitan Police, said the case demonstrates how young people are being drawn into extremism at a young age.

One in five of those arrested by counter-terrorism police are aged 17 and under, and around half of referrals to the government's anti-radicalisation Prevent scheme now relate to children.

Extreme right-wing ideology

Police found evidence of Coleman's extreme right-wing ideology dating back to when he was 14, when he searched for the Klu Klux Klan.

An analysis of his electronic devices revealed documents relating to extreme right-wing content, weaponry and explosives.

DCS Flanagan said a "key piece of evidence" was his diaries, which outlined plans to carry out a terrorist attack and set out his own manifesto, detailing grievances and motivations behind his actions.

She compared the writings to other extreme right terrorists such as the Charleston Church mass shooter Dylann Roof, Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik and New Zealand mosque terrorist Brenton Tarrant - who he referred to as "warriors".

Coleman identified London mayor Sadiq Khan as a potential target in a written plan but mistakenly included the address of the ceremonial Lord Mayor of London.

He also wrote of putting a bomb in a cash machine and hatched another plot to hijack a plane, which was described "far-fetched and childish" by prosecutors - but they said he was a "man of action".

Coleman came to the attention of police and MI5 in the summer of 2023 as he became increasingly active in extreme right-wing chat groups and enquired about getting a gun.

Undercover agents gained his trust and discussed getting hold of a Skorpion submachine gun and an AK47, as well as ammunition, which he planned to pick up in northern France.

DCS Flanagan said he researched travel to France and "rather ominously" searched the locations of mosques in the area, adding: "It's our belief that he was considering targeting those mosques."

He arranged to travel to France on 6 September but did not go through with the plan, so undercover officers arranged to sell him a Makarov semi-automatic pistol for £3,500, which he saved for working part-time in Tesco.

Police said he was in the "advanced stages of radicalisation" and attack planning so officers had to "take immediate steps to protect the public" and arrested him in the dramatic car park sting.

Items including a collection of knives, a bottle with a rag, and a flag associated with the SS, were found at his home.

In notes written inside prison Coleman drew weapons and neo-Nazi symbols including a swastika, quoted cult leader Charles Manson and wrote: "Under no circumstances will I betray my race for less jail time."

DCS Flanagan said there had been no prior police contact or referrals to the government's Prevent deradicalisation scheme, and there was "absolutely no evidence that his parents had any knowledge of what he was looking at, what he had become involved in, what his mindset was".

"They didn't realise that he had such a dangerous and toxic interest in extreme right-wing ideology," she added.

Farringdon railway station was evacuated after a "small number" of passengers complained of feeling ill on Thursday morning.

British Transport Police (BTP) and paramedics were called to the scene along with firefighters, who attended "a report of a smell of chemicals".

A spokesperson from London Ambulance Service said: "We treated 14 patients in total. We took two people to hospital and discharged the others at the scene."

A spokesperson for BTP said: "Officers were called to Farringdon station at 9.42am today (30 April) following reports of a suspected gas leak in the station, with a small number of passengers reporting feeling unwell."

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it sent "two fire engines, two fire rescue units and specialist officers" to the scene after "a report of a smell of chemicals on an Elizabeth Line platform at Farringdon Station".

In a statement posted on X, LFB added: "Crews attended and carried out a sweep of the area to check for no elevated readings of any chemical substances. No elevated readings were detected."

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National Rail said Thameslink services are likely to be "severely disrupted", while Elizabeth line trains are also operating with "severe delays" according to Transport for London (TfL).

Thameslink services are expected to face "major disruption" until 5pm and passengers have been warned to allow extra time as "you may need to use an alternative route for at least part of your journey".

Tickets can be used on alternative London Underground, rail and bus services.

Stephen Jamieson, 43, admitted being involved in the collection and supply of cocaine, diamorphine (heroin) and class C drug etizolam over a 54-day period in 2020.

Jamieson used the proceeds of his offending to travel to and from Dubai and to purchase watches and cars - including, he told an associate, spending £146,000 on a Jeep.

On Thursday, the High Court in Glasgow heard how he used the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat to conduct his dealings, operating under the username "patrolstaff".

His offending came to light when the platform, which was commonly used by those involved in organised crime, was hacked by law enforcement agencies.

Prosecutor Michael Mcintosh said the period of offending began on 28 March 2020, with Jamieson offering five million etizolam pills for sale on the platform.

Further messages over the ensuing weeks included discussions of how much he was charging for cocaine and heroin.

One exchange showed him arranging the time and place for the supply of 2kg of heroin, while on "numerous occasions" Jamieson used the platform to make arrangements for the collection of cash.

Mr Mcintosh said Jamieson's interlocutors on EncroChat included men who have since been convicted of drug offences and involvement in organised crime.

The exchanges show Jamieson had a "business relationship" with "Iceman" Jamie Stevenson, who is in jail having admitted directing and being involved in organised crime.

Jamieson could also be seen arranging the collection of money with Stephen O'Donnell - who has since pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property - and discussing a possible buyer of cocaine with John Gurie, who has admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drug.

It is understood Jamieson was arrested in Dubai on 20 June 2025 before being released on bail on 1 September.

He was re-arrested two weeks later, and went on to consent to being extradited back to the UK.

Jamieson was again arrested upon arriving at Glasgow Airport on 18 December.

Sentencing Jamieson, Lord Scott told him he had knowingly taken part in a "significant organised criminal operation for a period of 54 days".

The judge added: "Your role was a key operational role [and of] significant financial benefit to you."

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Lord Scott told him that having regard to the "whole circumstances of the case, in particular the gravity of the crime", a custodial sentence was necessary to serve as a punishment and to "protect the public".

He sentenced him to six years in prison, backdated to 5 July 2025 to take account of the period already spent in custody, as well as a four-year serious crime prevention order to take effect upon his release.

Lord Scott said the sentence "might appear lenient", but it would have been a prison term of nine years had Jamieson not pleaded guilty as early as he did.

Jamieson, who attending the sentencing hearing by videolink from prison, showed no reaction as the punishment was handed down.

An announcement is set for Thursday by LIV announcing a new strategy going forward to try to keep the rebel series going without being reliant on the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is overseen by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

It is understood captains of the teams were informed earlier this week.

Doubts have grown about the future willingness of Saudi Arabia to bankroll the sports soft-power project during two weeks without any denial from PIF that it is no longer willing to keep losing money on LIV.

It coincided with PIF not referencing sport its a new 2026-2030 strategy - unlike a previous long-term plan announcement - and indicating a need to refocus investment within Saudi and "maximising financial returns".

LIV plans to sell stakes in the teams, which PIF built the series around in 2022 after attracting some of the world's best players to defect with lucrative signing-on fees running into hundreds of millions of dollars.

It is chaired by PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who is also chairman of Premier League club Newcastle United - another strand of the Saudi sports portfolio which has rapidly expanded in an attempt to reposition the image of the Gulf nation.

A source says there will be new leadership of LIV, which attempted to merge with the established PGA and DP World tours in 2023, but talks collapsed despite an intervention last year by US President Donald Trump.

Those who defected to LIV in 2022 included major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia, along with English duo Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

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But LIV has lost more than £1bn in five years. While starting to attract more crowds to its events, it has never garnered media coverage and interest on a par with the long-established prestigious events on existing series.

LIV used the Roman numerals to highlight its 54-hole events, but it has since expanded to a traditional 72-hole, four-round format.

Senate hearings were held in Washington in 2023 into concerns the Saudi government would have been running an American sporting institution if LIV merged with the PGA Tour.

For the Saudis, it is about diversifying the economy away from oil. But human rights groups viewed it as the Saudis bolstering their influence and status in sport as a means of cleansing the kingdom's image.

The PGA Tour deplored that rights record when it went to court to thwart LIV a year ago, before backtracking and attempting unsuccessfully to link up.

LIV statement

LIV confirmed its intention to seek "long-term financial partners to support its transition from a foundational launch phase to a diversified, multi-partner investment model" on Thursday afternoon.

A statement read: "This strategic evolution, accelerated by the league's record-breaking performance in 2026, includes the appointment of a newly established independent board led by Gene Davis and Jon Zinman, seasoned experts with proven track records of navigating complex situations and unlocking value for global organizations, to guide the league through its next phase."

Critics were horrified from the start at the Starmer government dispatching the King to try to shore up transatlantic relations.

All a bit embarrassing and tawdry, they felt. Not to put too fine a point on it, they've worried the King was being pimped out like a royal escort in the knowledge that a narcissistic president would parade his trophy guest, hoping to bask in his royal limelight.

Follow the latest on the King's state visit

Trump says his love for the royal family goes back to his mother, but he also knows Americans go a bundle for a bit of royal bling, and none of this does any harm to his approval ratings, which are at a record low.

The suspicion that Trump would exploit his royal guest was rather borne out when he apparently tried to stick words into the King's mouth, saying Charles agrees with him over Iran getting the bomb.

Yes, the King delivered two very good speeches.

They appealed to Americans' better nature on NATO, security and Ukraine and gently corrected the record on Britain's commitment to the alliance.

They also sailed pretty close to the wind.

A descendant of the great tyrant King George III, as Americans remember him, King Charles schooled his hosts in the perils of excessive executive rule by one man.

It was quite a moment. Democrats got the point and erupted in appreciation. Donald Trump, who has ruled by executive fiat more than any other president, pretended not to notice.

Pointed oratory then, but two good speeches do not necessarily make a worthwhile royal visit.

The proof will be in the outcome.

King Charles was sent in the hope that his one-man soft power roadshow could improve transatlantic relations, despite the downside, which was potentially considerable.

He was, after all, hanging out with a man accused in the Epstein files of raping a woman when she was 13. The FBI took the allegations seriously enough to interview her a number of times. That is quite apart from the other tawdry tales surrounding this president, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The fact that the King also did not meet any of the survivors of Epstein despite their invitation will rankle with many.

So was it worth it?

On past form no.

The last Trump visit to the UK cost the taxpayer a reported £14m. The unpopular president was given a lavish welcome in Windsor Castle, ringed in high-wall security. Like The Truman Show, it was put on all for the benefit of just one man.

Government supporters and pundits applauded the visit as a masterpiece of British soft power. The palace had played a blinder.

But that has since proven premature. Relations have since only disintegrated further.

In January, the president belittled the enormous sacrifices made by British soldiers in Afghanistan, saying they stayed "a little back, a little off the front lines".

In the same month, Trump ratcheted up tariffs on the UK, threatening to revoke them only if Britain supported his hare-brained scheme to buy Greenland.

And Britain's refusal to join in with Trump's illegal war on Iran has plunged relations to a new nadir.

Read more:
Best pictures so far from the King's US state visit
Unpacking the King's speech to Congress

King Charles is a past master at handling colourful characters and extracting the maximum soft power potential. But even he has had his work cut out salvaging anything from the steaming mess of transatlantic relations under Donald Trump.

The visit undoubtedly bolsters Britain's image and prestige among Americans generally, but was that ever in doubt? It also shores up support with the president's political opponents, useful should they ever get their acts together and their hands back on power.

But do not expect anything more than a passing sugar high in relations with the administration in Washington under this president.