LONDON (REUTERS) - Two Muslim converts pleaded not guilty on Friday to murdering a British soldier whose gruesome killing in broad daylight on a busy London street in May horrified the nation.

Drummer Lee Rigby, a veteran of the Afghan war, was hacked to death near army barracks in Woolwich, south-east London. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as "multiple incised wounds".

Muslim converts Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who were arrested at the scene, appeared at London's Old Bailey criminal court on Friday where they denied murdering Mr Rigby, conspiracy to murder a police officer and attempted murder of a police officer.