Teenagers planned to bomb British school to mark Columbine massacre

The youths, aged 16 and 17, were preparing to blow up a school and shopping centre on April 20, with the possible loss of hundreds of lives.

Police sources confirmed the date was chosen to mark 10 years since Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on the rampage at Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 12 students and a teacher before turning the guns on themselves.

Related Articles

*
Worst campus shootings
*
Previous school massacres
*
Mother-of-two appears in court charged with murdering her children
*
School shootings timeline
*
German school shooting: Timeline of past attacks

It is alleged that the British youths had obtained plans of their two targets and had the knowledge and method to carry out a copycat attack.

Both boys appeared flanked by security guards in the dock at Tameside Youth Court in Greater Manchester. They spoke only to confirm their name, date of birth and address during the hearing.

They are jointly accused of a single charge of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and injure property between November 1, 2007 and March 15, 2009.

The elder boy is also charged with possession of child pornography.

The younger boy's father and the other boy's grandfather sat in front of the dock throughout the proceedings.

Both defendants were arrested on Saturday as police swooped in Tameside, Greater Manchester. The teenagers and the school targeted cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Vivien Vince, chairwoman of the bench, remanded both youths into custody to appear at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, on March 30.