Two NHS doctors will go on trial in London today charged with trying to murder hundreds of people in botched car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.

Bilal Abdulla, 29, and Mohammed Asha, 28, will appear at Woolwich Crown Court, south-east London accused of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions. They deny the offences.

Prosecutors have told the trial judge, Mr Justice Mackay, that they will portray the pair as Islamic extremists intent on terrorising their adopted homeland.

The alleged attacks began in the early hours of June 29, when two Mercedes cars containing petrol, gas cylinders and nails were driven into London’s West End.

One was discovered outside the Tiger, Tiger nightclub in Haymarket, while a second car, parked in nearby Cockspur Street, was towed by unwitting traffic wardens to a nearby car pound.

Fortunately for Londoners, the car bombs were poorly designed and failed to detonate. Both were discovered accidentally, the first because a paramedic attending an unrelated incident in Haymarket had noticed smoke pouring out of the vehicle. Hundreds of revellers were evacuated while bomb disposal experts moved in. The second car was identified and made safe later that day.

Abdulla, born in Iraq but living in Houston, Glasgow, was arrested the following day, June 30, after a burning Jeep was driven into the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport.

Asha, a neurologist who was born in Jordan and worked at a hospital in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, was arrested on the M6 motorway in Cheshire later on June 30.

A third man, Kafeel Ahmed, 28, died 33 days later from critical burns suffered in the airport attack. He was the driver of the vehicle. Ahmed's younger brother, Sabeel, was convicted earlier this year of concealing information about his brother's intentions, and was deported.

Between them, Abdulla and Asha have worked in NHS hospitals in Glasgow, Staffordshire, south Wales and Cambridge.

Both are accused of conspiring with Ahmed and others unknown to murder and cause explosions likely to endanger life between January 1, 2006 and July 1, 2007. The case is expected to run for eight to 10 weeks.

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