Surveillance photographs of two of the July 7 bombers and one of their alleged conspirators meeting a “committed terrorist” outside a branch of McDonald’s were shown to a jury yesterday.

One of the pictures shows Mohammad Sidique Khan, the ringleader of the July 7 gang, his fellow bomber Shezhad Tanweer and Waheed Ali, their alleged conspirator, 17 months before the attacks on London. Another shows the men talking to a “committed terrorist” known as Ausman, and his brother, during the meeting at the fast-food outlet near Crawley, West Sussex, in February 2004.

Car journeys around London and the Home Counties involving the five men were tracked, meetings were observed and on two occasions a car driven by Khan was followed back to the Leeds area, the court was told.

Paul Taylor, for the prosecution, said that Mr Ali, 24, and the bombers were involved in a scam to obtain money fraudulently through bank loans that were never repaid and by setting up false trade accounts.

A detailed surveillance schedule, logging the times and activities when Khan, Tanweer and Mr Ali had driven from Leeds to met Ausman in Crawley, were shown to the jury yesterday.

On February 4, 2004, Khan made an eight-hour return journey in his Honda Civic with Tanweer and Mr Ali for a five-minute meeting at a retail park with Ausman, who was driving his Suzuki 4x4, and his brother.

The Leeds men were followed and pictures of them were taken at Toddington service station on the M1 before the car returned to the Leeds area in the early hours.

At a meeting on the morning of February 28 a surveillance team watched two cars arrive at the McDonald’s in Tushmore near Crawley. The cars travelled to a number of builders’ merchants, during which Tanweer tried to open three trade accounts at a branch of Howden’s, the court heard.

The vehicles were followed to Slough in Berkshire and Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, where the occupants of the Honda Civic visited an internet café. The Honda Civic was followed, heading north on the M1.

In the early hours of March 21 a Vauxhall Corsa courtesy car given to Khan was pictured in Crawley. Two days later the Corsa and Ausman’s Suzuki were tracked in Crawley, Slough and areas of West and East London.

The jury had been told earlier in the trial that Ausman had suggested during one meeting that a way to raise funds for their activities was to “rip the country apart economically as well” by running scams including fraudulent bank loans and trade accounts.

Yesterday they were told that Ausman had tried to open a number of accounts with builders’ merchants and obtained a loan of £16,000 in March 2004, around the time of the meetings. Tanweer opened a trade account with a £7,000 credit limit and also applied for finance to buy a car.

Mr Ali opened an account at a builders’ merchants. Khan was approved for a credit card and obtained a £10,000 loan, which he defaulted on.

Mr Ali is standing trial with Mohammed Shakil, 31, and Sadeer Saleem, 27, from Beeston, Leeds. They are accused of conspiring with Khan, Tanweer, Jermaine Lindsay, Hasib Hussain and others unknown to cause explosions between November 17, 2004 and July 8, 2005. They deny the charge.

The four suicide bombers murdered 52 people when they set off bombs in London in 2005.

All three defendants are alleged to have carried out a two-day reconnaissance mission in London on December 16 and 17, 2004, with Hussain and Lindsay. They are accused of pinpointing potential targets.

The case continues.

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