A man from Croydon who called for violent resistance to the Government during the pandemic has been convicted of terrorism.

60 year old Paul Martin posted thousands of messages on a Telegram group urging followers to use crossbows and explosives.

He was arrested in 2021, with police finding weapons including crossbows, air guns and a stun gun at his home.

Martin was found guilty of encouraging terrorism after a trial at the Old Bailey and will be sentenced on the 18th of December.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “This is an unusual case dating back to the time of the Covid pandemic when social media contained many conspiracy theories about the vaccine and lockdown restrictions.

“However, Paul Martin’s actions went way beyond lawful comment or protest against Government policy as he encouraged others online to acquire weapons and use them in attacks.

“Anyone who advocates violence in this way can expect to be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“Single Issue Terrorism such as this remains a very small part of our caseload, however we are always alert to how political, economic and social events are changing the focus of our work.”