EXPLOSIVE ingredients found at the home of a former BNP candidate were bought from a website, a court was told.

Many of the chemicals seized from Robert Cottage's Talbot Street home in Colne, could be used for general household purposes, a jury at Manchester Crown Court heard.

And the court was told that the 49-year-old former Lancashire County Council mini-bus driver did not have some of the essential ingredients needed for creating high-powered explosives.

But forensic explosive expert Sarah Wilson told the court it would still have been possible to make a bomb with the weaker acids that Cottage had bought.

Officers had searched Cottage's house after his 29-year-old wife, Kerena, who was said to suffer from mental health problems, told her care worker she was becoming concerned about her husband's "strange behaviour".

He had started stockpiling large amounts of food and was collecting weapons because he believed a civil war would break out in the next few years, the court was told.

His defence claimed that Cottage had bought the chemicals so that he could create harmless thunder-flashes to frighten away anyone trying to attack his family, but police found documents on his computer detailing how to make a variety of bombs.

Cottage had ordered the items in September last year after being given a list of chemicals by his friend and co-defendant 62-year-old David Jackson, of Trent Road, Nelson, the court was told.

Amongst the chemicals delivered to Cottage's address were potassium nitrate, used in gunpower, and hydrogen peroxide, used to make the high-powered explosive TATP.

Jackson's defence lawyer Andrew Nuttall said that the items had been bought from an internet website.

The site carried the banner Hobby Chemical Supplies and the tagline Our Goal is to Supply Hobbyists, Schools and Colleges with quality chemicals'.

Mr Nuttall said: "The chemicals are all legal and can be obtained by anyone.

"There is nothing in itself in being interested in chemistry."

Mr Nuttall pointed out key ingredients for making explosives were not found at Cottage's house, including charcoal to make gunpowder and sulphuric acid.

The solicitor said: "If someone had it in their mind to make an explosive they would order sulphuric acid - that is one of the key ones they would really go for."

Cottage had pleaded guilty to possession of explosives but denies conspiracy to create an explosion.

Jackson also denies the charges.

(Proceeding)