A 20-year-old man from Slough has admitted to a series of terrorism offences related to a planned attack on soldiers at the Windsor Castle barracks.
Guilty Plea at the Old Bailey
Ilyas Akhtar appeared via video link from HMP Belmarsh at the Old Bailey on Friday, 14 November 2025. Wearing a grey prison tracksuit, he confirmed his identity and entered guilty pleas to multiple terror charges.
The court heard that between 1 July 2024 and 31 May 2025, Akhtar engaged in extensive research to facilitate a terrorist act. His activities included accessing the al Qaeda Manual and the online al Qaeda magazine Inspire.
Detailed Preparations for an Attack
Akhtar's online searches focused on obtaining information about weapons, poison, and explosive substances. He specifically researched how to construct improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and homemade bombs.
He did not stop at research. Akhtar wrote concrete "plans of action" and began gathering components for IEDs. The items he collected included:
- A pressure cooker
- Matches and lighters
- Motor oil and charcoal
- Aerosol canisters
- Screws intended for use as shrapnel
Furthermore, he purchased knives and razor blades, mixed chemicals, and tested the flammability of various items. As part of his reconnaissance, Akhtar visited Victoria Barracks in Windsor, the home of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.
Arrest and Additional Charges
Akhtar's activities came to a head when he was arrested for allegedly setting off an improvised incendiary device outside the Salt Hill Leisure Centre in Slough, which set the building on fire.
Subsequent investigations linked him to a series of other incidents. He had previously attempted to set fire to a church in Slough and the town's ice arena. He also left a fake device at an Asda superstore, leading to a two-hour lockdown.
Following searches of his property, he was charged with preparing terrorist acts and possessing material useful for terrorism. At the Old Bailey hearing, he pleaded guilty to arson at St Peter's Church in Chalvey and to perpetrating a bomb hoax at the Asda Superstore in Slough.
However, he denied charges of arson with intent to endanger life at the skating arena and the leisure centre. The judge remanded him in custody ahead of a further hearing scheduled for February.
In the wake of his arrest, soldiers of the Coldstream Guards were warned not to leave Victoria Barracks in uniform as a precautionary security measure.
