A key worker was praised by anti-terror cops for helping to foil a far-right extremist from Thornton Heath's plot to blow up a Morden mosque.

She called cops after Steven Bishop, 41, showed her images of items he was collecting for the purpose, he said, to build 'a bomb', and told her that he was intending to target a mosque.

Bishop was quickly arrested by Counter Terrorism detectives at his address in south London last October.

Speaking after Bishop was jailed for four years today, Commander Clarke Jarrett, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "From our investigation it was clear Bishop stockpiled a quantity of fireworks and other component parts with the intention of creating a device that he was intending to use in a terrorist attack on a mosque.

"Thanks to the diligence of his key worker in alerting us we were able to intervene before he could progress with his plans any further and crucially, nobody came to any harm.

"This example shows that information we get from the public really can help to protect the public and save lives."

He added: "Given Bishop was focused upon a mosque, and in light of recent events in New Zealand, we also know that Muslim and other faith communities may be feeling particularly concerned and vulnerable.

"Specialist officers continue to provide support and protective security advice to mosques, and indeed all places of worship across the UK on how to best keep their buildings and visitors safe."