CENTRAL heating time clocks were used by alleged IRA terrorists in a plot to bomb electricity supply stations and black out parts of London and south-east England, an Old Bailey court heard today.
The timers - in everyday use - were particularly attractive to bomb conspirators as they could work on a rechargeable battery alone for up to 100 hours.
Mr Nigel Sweeney, prosecuting, said: "By using the features of this otherwise perfectly innocent timer, a domestic device can be converted into a long delay device for use in bombs. You can engineer a delay of up to 100 hours - the length of battery life from the moment you have, unplugged the timer from the mains.
Thirty seven sophisticated devices - using the timers - were allegedly found at a house in Peckham after police raided several addresses in south London last July. Once attached to detonators and Semtex high explosive, they could have helped cause powerful blasts, the court heard.
Seven members of an IRA active service unit were in London within months of the ceasefire ending, Mr Sweeney alleged. An eighth man was to provide support and find premises in the Birmingham area.
The initial targets were six large National Grid Group electrical sub stations, the court was told.
Mr Gerard Hanratty (38), Mr Martin Murphy (36), Mr Donald Gannon (34), Mr Patrick Martin (35), Mr Robert Morrow (37), Mr Francis Rafferty (45), Mr John Crawley (39), and Mr Clive Brampton (36), all deny conspiring between January and July last year to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.