A WEYMOUTH man who became an Islamist terrorist was in secret conversations about targeting Wootton Bassett, a court was told.

The revelation emerged as Richard Dart appeared on the first day of his sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey in London.

The 30 year old and co-defendants Imran Mahmood and Jahangir Alom last month all admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism.

Prosecutors claim that Dart and Mahmood tried to avoid surveillance by typing into a Word document on a laptop rather than speaking aloud.

Dart, who is originally from Weymouth but moved to Broadway, Ealing, west London, was trying to get advice from Mahmood about terrorist training in Pakistan.

The pair discussed how to make explosives, and Mahmood made reference to military tribute town Wootton Bassett as a potential target.

Dart is the son of two Weymouth teachers and was shown in a TV documentary visiting the resort with a London-based group and preaching in the town centre.

The documentary was about Dart’s conversion to an extreme Islamist called Salahuddin al-Britani.

Prosecutors say that Dart, Mahmood, 22, from Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt, west London, and Alom, 26, of Abbey Road, Stratford, east London, were all Islamic extremists ``committed'' to terrorism.

They say that all three defendants travelled to Pakistan for terrorist training, although Dart and Alom were unsuccessful in that aim.

The case is continuing.