CONVICTED terrorist Nicky Reilly first came to the attention of the security services five years before his failed attack on Exeter.

The Western Morning News has learned that Reilly, then just 17, had been the subject of a police probe, after stating: "I want to be a terrorist." The comment was made around the time that he converted to Islam.

However, the investigation into his background and possible links with other radicals did not prompt any further, more detailed action.

Later Reilly was on the fringes of surveillance being carried out by the security services, rather than the police, into an alleged group of Islamic extremists in Plymouth. Sources told the Western Morning News that there was no intelligence to suggest that Reilly would act in the way he ultimately did.

There was also insufficient evidence to mount surveillance on Reilly or monitor his Internet use, e-mails or phone calls.

"The security services only pick up the top jobs, anything that needs developing is picked up by police," one source told the WMN. "If you had another Nicky Reilly, expressing views that he did, the security services probably wouldn't be interested until it had been developed. That would realistically need surveillance or technological intervention against that individual."

Such action was never warranted, particularly given the number of people "of interest" to the police and security services.

"We didn't find anyone who knew Reilly who had plans to do anything like this," the source added. "He acted in such a private way. If he was about now, I don't think the intelligence would justify the resources to actually get hold of him and do something with him. Nothing could have been done to stop him. The lone wolves are always the worst ones to deal with."

The Home Office has ordered two investigations into the Exeter incident. One is analysing how Devon and Cornwall Police responded to the attempted bombing, while the other is looking at the "intelligence" on Reilly before the bombing.

Neither is thought to be over-critical of the police, although "lessons learned" are expected to be identified.

At the Old Bailey yesterday it emerged that two Internet contacts who helped Reilly prepare for his potentially lethal suicide bid in Exeter are still being hunted.

At the Old Bailey Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said Reilly began to plan the attack in early 2008 and researched how to purchase the materials for a suicide vest.

"During the early months of 2008 he was in frequent touch with apparently two other people, as yet unidentified, with whom he discussed his plans and from who he received a certain amount of encouragement and information over the Internet using a website called Chechen233.

"There was some debate, which is revealed by comments on the computer, about what sort of person should be targeted in due course, whether public servants such as police officers or other public servants or ordinary citizens. In the end the decision was made to target ordinary citizens in a restaurant."

Chechen233 is understood to be Reilly's user identification on the video-sharing website, YouTube.

His "favourites" include footage of the Al Qaida attack on the Twin Towers, ambushes on coalition forces in Iraq and "how to make a benzine bomb".

After the case, Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Simpson said the "talking over the Internet is international as opposed to national". She said enquiries to trace Reilly's extremist contacts continued, and declined to comment on rumours they may be in Pakistan.

"There is a lot of information available on the Internet," she said. "As a police service we are looking to see what we can do in relation to things that are freely available such as on YouTube and the like to see what we can do to make sure the risk to vulnerable people and others is minimised."

Asked about the extent to which Reilly was "on the police's radar" before the incident, she said it was "difficult" to go into detail until after he had been sentenced.

"We have information about an awful lot of people which doesn't necessarily equate to a criminal offence taking place," she added.

The assistant chief constable said a "thorough review" of the way the investigation had been carried out had concluded it was a "thorough investigation".

She said: "We are pleased with the guilty pleas submitted. There is no doubt that his intention was to kill and seriously injure many members of the public.

"This was a criminal act calculated to cause harm and spread panic. Terrorism remains a real and serious threat to all communities across the UK and not just in our major cities. Acts such as this have been condemned by all sections of the community."

At the time of the bungled attack, it emerged that Reilly, now 22, had attended a number of Muslim centres including the Plymouth Islamic Education Trust (PIETY) Centre on the corner of Greenbank Avenue and Beaumont Road in the St Judes area of the city.

The centre, which is the former headquarters of the city's Labour Party, was searched by police during the investigation.

No-one from the centre was available for comment yesterday. At the time of the incident a statement from the trustees of the centre said: "We are as shocked as everyone by the recent events that have unfolded at Exeter and Plymouth.

"We have been working in partnership with the police and community to build the centre, and we are now committed to assisting the police with their inquiries. We are offering them any assistance they may require."

Dr Ibrahim Elbeltagi, a former manager of the centre, stressed: "This action has nothing to do with Islam, or any religion for that matter, and is against everything we stand for."

Syed Lutfur Rahman, chairman of the Islamic Centre for Plymouth and Cornwall, a separate organisation, said some members of the centre had known of Reilly but stressed that he had never attended the centre for prayers.

Mr Rahman said people who supported such action "must be brought to justice".

"We continue to be vigilant," he said yesterday. "We will not tolerate any extremism. We work very closely with the police and maintain a very good relationship with the community."

It was also claimed yesterday that the attempted bombing provoked a serious backlash against the Kurdish community with which he was associated.

There is a growing Muslim population in King Street where Reilly lived and a Kurdish cafe yards from his flat.

Shoker Abobeker, who runs a Kurdish community association in Plymouth, said people would shout racist comments like "suicide bombers" across the street.

Mr Abobeker said the attack had damaged relationships they had worked hard to develop.

He said: "The bombing caused a lot of problems for us.

"The media reported that Reilly was mixing with Kurdish people and that led to us being called extremists and people shouting that we were suicide bombers.

"We have worked really hard to be part of the Plymouth community and this had such a negative impact.

"Since then there has been a big effort to speak to people, bring them down here and show we are not associated with extremism in any way.

"We are all against it. It has taken a lot of effort to try and rebuild those bridges."

Mr Abobeker said he hoped now Reilly had pleaded guilty the tension would ease. He said: "We hope now to move on, carry on with our lives and take things forward in a positive way."

However, Chief Superintendent Jim Webster, the police commander in Plymouth, said there had been "surprisingly little community tension" given the nature of the incident.

"People were extremely helpful and extremely calm," he said.

"Over a longer period, there have naturally been concerns in the Muslim community about what has taken place and who the police might have been looking at. Our inquiries naturally caused some concerns.

"But we have worked closely with a range of communities ever since the incident and have had great support.

"The communities of Plymouth have pulled together since this took place and we couldn't have asked for any more help.

"In particular I would like to pay tribute to those at the St Judes community centre and the board of trustees, who couldn't have done more to help the investigation and build bridges with the local community."