‘Leave it there,’ said Abu Mujahid. ‘The police can find it in a few days. We’ll be long gone.’

Abu Mujahid had been in and out of the flat all morning. He’d left at 8am and returned with a full rucksack, emptying the contents into a crate in the bathroom. He made the trip almost immediately again and returned with another bulging rucksack.

In the afternoon, Abu Mujahid called them to the sitting room. He opened up a duffel bag, pulled out a video camera and tabletop tripod. ‘Take this,’ he handed the black standard of Global Islamic Defence to Muhid, ‘and find something to pin it against the wall.’

Muhid took the flag eagerly. Saleem handed over a box of nails and a frying pan to hammer the flag to the plasterboard wall. Abu Mujahid placed the camera on a coffee table and pushed the sofa out of the way. He pulled out four balaclavas from his bag and opened up the crate, taking out three assault rifles.

Muhid pulled the balaclava over his head and laughed. Asad put on his. The fibres scratched his chin. He felt hot, uncomfortable. His mind was wandering now – it was hard to concentrate on what Abu Mujahid was saying.

‘You are speaking to the world,’ said Abu Mujahid. ‘Tell the world that you are becoming a martyr with your eyes open, and your heart full. Let them see your courage and your faith. Let yourself become an inspiration to brothers and sisters around the world.’

The three men stood awkwardly in front of the flag, clutching their rifles. It was chilly in the flat, but the balaclava made Asad’s face oppressively hot.

‘Go,’ said Abu Mujahid, and he pressed record.

Muhid spoke clearly and loudly. Asad was impressed with his performance and his conviction. ‘People of Britain and the world, I speak on behalf of Global Islamic Defence. You have brought this war upon yourselves.

‘You have been warned what will happen to those who fight the GID. And yet you’ve killed and maimed and destroyed Muslims all over the world. You have got blood on your hands and you will pay for everything you have done, for every bullet fired on innocent children, for every bomb dropped on innocent women.

‘What we do, we do in the name of Allah and the name of the Prophet. In the name of the Global Islamic Defence, in the name of our brothers around the world.’ There was more. Much more. Lines from the Quran. Warnings about retribution.

Abu Mujahid leant forward and switched off the camera.

‘That’ll do. Now we pray for tomorrow.’

#

CTOC, St Pancras, London

There are an estimated five hundred thousand CCTV cameras dotted around London in addition to the two thousand or so ANPR cameras, and the typical commuter is caught on camera hundreds of times a day. But a Londoner determined to dodge CCTV cameras can still successfully avoid being captured on video. And, Bose conceded as she reviewed the latest report, Abu Mujahid appeared to have done just that.