A man tonight became the first suspect to be charged in Britain with training to become a terrorist under a new anti-terror law.

Yassin Mutegombwa, 22, is accused of receiving weapons training over weekends this spring and summer at training camps in the heart of the countryside in the New Forest and Berkshire.

Mr Mutegombwa, from Norwood, South London, became the first suspect to face British courts under the new Terrorist Act 2006 after he was arrested a week ago in a Scotland Yard operation targeting the recruitment and training of would-be Islamic terrorists.

Mr Mutegombwa faces three counts of attending weekend training sessions for terrorism during April, May and June. He is accused of a new charge of receiving terrorist training.

The Terrorism Act 2006 became law only in March and also makes it an offence to be at a place where training is taking place and includes controversial clauses banning the glorification of terrorism.

Each of three charges alleges that Mr Mutegombwa was at a site and "whilst there instruction or training of the type mentioned in this Act (Terrorism Act 2006) or the Terrorism Act 2000 (weapons training) was provided wholly or partly for the purposes connected with the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism, and he knew or believed that the instruction or training was being provided there wholly or partly for purposes connected with the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism."

Over the weekend between 28 April and May 1, Mr Mutegombwa is said to have received training in a woodland area "near" Matley Wood Caravan and Camping site, Lyndhurst, Hampshire.

A second charge alleges he returned for a second training session at the same site in the New Forest between for a long weekend between June 2 and June 4.

Two weeks later on Sunday June 18 Mr Mutegombwa is accused of attending a third training session "near" Pondwood Farm, White Waltham, Berkshire.

The camp site in the New Forest was run by the Forestry Commission at the time of the alleged training. The site is described as "a small secluded site within natural woodland". It has no amenities and there is only space for 70 pitches used by campers and caravaners.

Pondwood Farm is at White Waltham near Maidenhead and close to the M4. The farm is the centre for a complex of leisure and outdoor activities including paintball, bungee jumping and coarse fishing. There are also companies involved in security and flood protection.

Mr Mutegombwa’s 20-year-old brother Hassan was also arrested in the raids and faces a single charge of procuring funds for terrorism in July contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000.

The brothers will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ court tomorrow. They were among 14 suspects arrested eight days ago in connection with investigations into alleged attempts to recruit and train would-be terrorists.

Two men were released without further action last week and ten other suspects are still being questioned by police in London. Tonight police and the Crown Prosecution Service are deciding whether to charge, release or apply to continue to detain three more men.

Police were still today searching the premises of the Jameah Islamiyah Secondary School near Crowborough, East Sussex, which was raided after the arrests.

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