A jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of an alleged extremist accused of plotting a cyanide attack ''for the Aryan people''.

Mark Colborne, from Southampton, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of preparing terrorist acts before his arrest on June 3 last year.

The court has heard that the 37-year-old made notes in his diary of a plan to shoot the Prince of Wales with a high-powered sniper rifle, and bought the ingredients for cyanide over the internet.

The defendant, who likened himself to Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, also stockpiled dust masks, metal filter funnels, plastic syringes and latex gloves and acquired manuals entitled Assorted Nasties, Silent Death and The Poor Man's James Bond, jurors were told.

His half-brother contacted police after he uncovered chemicals and papers detailing Colborne's racial hatred stashed in his bedroom at the family home, the court heard.

In his defence, Colborne denied the charge against him and dismissed extracts from his diary as just ''angry rants'' made while he was off medication for depression.