Four extremists have admitted planning to detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange.

The Muslim fundamentalists’ group wanted to send five mail bombs to various targets during the run up to Christmas 2010 and discussed launching a “Mumbai-style” atrocity.

A hand-written target list found at one of the defendant’s homes listed the names and addresses of London Mayor Boris Johnson, two rabbis, the American Embassy and the Stock Exchange.

The total of nine men admitted various terror crimes at Woolwich Crown Court and will be sentenced next week.

The nine were not members of al Qaida but were inspired by the terror network and its former Yemeni boss, American-born Anwar al Awlaki, who was killed last year in a drone strike after leading al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The nine defendants “were implementing the published strategy of AQAP”, said Andrew Edis QC, for the prosecution.

AQAP use internet propaganda to inspire radicals to carry out attacks against the nations in which they live.

Though no firm dates were set and no homemade bombs created, the defendants had the wherewithal to do it. it was alleged.

They possessed the al Qaida magazine Inspire, which contained a feature: “Make A Bomb In The Kitchen Of Your Mom.”

The threats were not just facing London.

The Stoke quartet talked about leaving homemade bombs in the toilets of their city’s pubs and discussed travelling abroad for terror training.

Chowdhury and Rahman had Bangladeshi backgrounds like their Welsh accomplices, whereas the Stoke terrorists had Pakistani backgrounds.

They also discussed how to make a pipe bomb.