A group of hard right extremists has been found guilty of planning terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues as part of a "race war."

Christopher Ringrose, Marco Pitzettu and Brogan Stewart have been found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court.

The men were arrested when security services believed an attack could be imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their group.

Ringrose, 34, from Cannock, Staffordshire, Pitzettu, 25, from Mickleover, Derbyshire and Stewart, 25, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire plotted to use firearms, explosives and bladed weapons in attacks against religious centres.

The men appeared at Sheffield Crown Court

A nine-week long trial heard how the group idolised Hitler and the Nazis, shared vile racist slurs and glorified mass murderers.

Today, a jury rejected claims the defendants were fantasists with no intention of carrying out their threats and found the three guilty of a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.

Ringrose was also convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon. Pitzettu pleaded guilty to obtaining an illegal stun gun at a previous hearing. The defendants will be sentenced on July 17.

The judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, told them: "You must all expect substantial custodial sentences."