Southport murder suspect accused of terrorism offences

The man accused of murdering three young girls in Southport in July has been charged with the production of the biological toxin ricin and possessing a military study of an al-Qaeda training manual. Axel Rudakubana has already been charged with the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, along with ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a knife. The material was made during a search of Mr Rudakubana’s house in early August, prompting concerns that the discoveries had been withheld from the public and that the killings should have been categorised as a terror attack. Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick said: “Keir Starmer must urgently explain to the country what he knew about the Southport attack and when he learned it.” Kemi Badenoch, his leadership rival, said there were “serious questions to be asked of the police, the CPS and also of Keir Starmer’s response to the whole situation.” But Serena Kennedy, the chief constable of Merseyside police, urged people not to engage in rumour and speculation.