The man accused of attempting to blow up a US-bound airliner on Christmas Day was recruited by al-Qaida in London, a senior minister in Yemen’s government claimed today.

Security services were warned of a terrorist bomb plot weeks before the failed Christmas Day airliner attack, it was claimed today.

American security services received intelligence suggesting “a Nigerian” in Yemen was planning a terrorist attack weeks before a passenger jet was targeted on Christmas Day, reports said today.

The Christmas Day airline bomb plot suspect helped organise a “war on terror” conference while studying in the UK, it emerged today.