Convicted terrorist found driving London bin lorries jailed

A convicted terrorist found driving bin lorries in London has been jailed for failing to tell police he was driving potentially dangerous vehicles.

Andrew Rowe, 50, of north west London, spent two months driving the vehicles across Hammersmith and Fulham as part of his work.

Rowe pleaded guilty to nine counts of failing to comply with terror notification orders.

He was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 10 months in prison.

Passing sentence Judge Angela Rafferty said: "Notification requirements for convicted terrorists are imposed for the safety of all and to manage the risks inherent in this kind of offending."

In mitigation, Catherine Oborne said Rowe had been trying to get on with his life and fit into society.

Ms Oborne added: "Of course there is a plain and obvious concern that the police would no doubt have about use of HGV lorries but there was no specific risk in respect of this defendant himself."

Rowe was convicted at the Old Bailey in September 2005 of having a notebook containing a secret terrorism code and details on how to fire mortar bombs.

He was also found in possession of an al-Qaeda tape and jailed, although his sentence was later reduced on appeal.

On his release from prison in September 2010 he was made subject to a 15-year notification order.

In March 2019, he was informed of a new obligation to give details of all vehicles used by him following a change in legislation.

Five months later Rowe found work, via a recruitment agency, with Serco.

He used nine different vehicles, including refuse and skip collection vehicles, in the 31 times he drove between August and October 2019.

Vehicles smaller than refuse trucks were used in the 2017 attacks at Westminster and London Bridge, with evidence the lead attacker had hoped to access a large vehicle.

Trucks have been used in deadly vehicle attacks in Europe, including the attack in Nice that left 86 people dead.