Terrorist admits arson attacks on leisure activity centres
lyas Akhtar admitted arson attacks at Slough Ice Arena and Salt Hill Activity Centre
Last updated 30th Jan 2026
A convicted terrorist has admitted setting fire to two leisure activity centres in Berkshire.
On Friday, Ilyas Akhtar, 21, admitted arson attacks at Slough Ice Arena on May 14 last year and at Salt Hill Activity Centre in Slough on May 31.
At the time of the offences he was "reckless as to whether life would be endangered", the Old Bailey was told.
The defendant, who appeared by video link from Belmarsh prison, had previously admitted preparation for terrorist acts.
Akhtar, of Cress Road, Slough, had been facing a trial at Woolwich Crown Court in October but prosecutor Julia Faure Walker accepted his additional guilty pleas at the Old Bailey hearing on Friday.
On the risk to the public, defence barrister Gavin Holme told the court: "What we simply say is these were not fires started at the bottom of a block of flats. These were areas late at night. It was not a residential area."
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb ordered a pre-sentence report on the defendant's dangerousness and adjourned sentencing until April 27.
Previously, the court has heard that as part of his terrorist preparations between July 1 2024 and May 31 2025, the defendant accessed al Qaida material and bought knives and razor blades.
He researched online for information on weapons and poison, as well as literature about explosive substances and the construction of improvised explosive devices.
His preparations also included visiting Victoria Barracks in Windsor and accessing instructions and gathering parts to make an improvised explosive device.
Akhtar has previously pleaded guilty to possession of terrorist information relating to a video entitled How To Make A Simple Detonator and arson relating to a fire at St Peter's Church in Slough in April 2025.
He also pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax by placing a package containing wires, screws, coins, batteries and phones at Asda Superstore, Telford Drive, Slough, on May 9.
The defendant was remanded into custody.