Mass killer Anders Breivik said today he thought he had only a slim chance of escaping Norway's capital alive after setting off a bomb in the government district on July 22.

On the fourth day of his terror trial, the anti-Muslim extremist said he had expected to be confronted by armed police when he left Oslo for a youth camp on Utoya island, where he killed 69 people in a shooting massacre. No one stopped Breivik on his way to the island.

Breivik told the court today he had prepared for a firefight with police in Oslo by playing video games, and said: "I estimated the chances of survival as less than 5%."

Breivik has confessed to the bomb and shooting rampage, but rejects criminal guilt saying he was acting to protect Norway and Europe.

This morning he did not give his usual fisted far right salute as the request of lawyers after families of the victims complained.