An 18-year-old accused of carrying out the Southport attack that claimed the lives of three children has been charged with terrorism offences.
Detectives, after a thorough search of his home, say they have uncovered a deadly toxin and what appeared to be a Jihad 'training manual'.
The police say they found a PDF document titled "military studies in the Jihad against the tyrants the Al Qaeda training manual" and the lethal substance ricin at the residence of the accused.
Axel Rudakubana, from Lancashire, is already facing charges including three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder following the knife attack in July. He allegedly brought a 'curved blade kitchen knife' to a Taylor Swift-themed dance party attended by numerous children and launched a brutal attack.
Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy, addressing a news conference on Tuesday, announced: "The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Axel Rudakubana, aged 18 from Lancashire, to be charged with two further offences. Axel Rudakubana already faces three charges of murder, 10 charges of attempted murder, and one charge of possession of a knife, all relating to the incident at Hart Street on the 29th of July, 2024.
"The two further offences relate to evidence obtained by Merseyside police during searches of Axel Rudakubana's home address as part of a lengthy and complex investigation which has been ongoing since the 29th of July.", reports the Mirror.
"The additional charges are production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section One of the biological weapons act 1974 and possession of information, namely a PDF file entitled military studies in the jihad against the tyrants, the al Qaeda training manual likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000."
However, the force clarified that Counter Terrorism police have not categorised the Southport incident as a "terrorist incident". It was also stressed there's no evidence suggesting that any victims from the Southport attack, first responders, or members of the broader community had come into contact with ricin.
Ricin is an extremely potent toxin derived from castor beans, capable of causing nausea, diarrhoea and body pains if ingested within 18 to 24 hours and potentially death through damage to the heart, blood vessels and fluid accumulation in the lungs between 36 to 72 hours after exposure. Further details were provided by Professor Tim Atkins, who serves at the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL), affiliated with the Ministry of Justice.
He revealed even as little as 0.5 milligrams of ricin can prove fatal if inhaled and noted that following the discovery, Merseyside Police have been granted "unrestricted access" to DSTL's analytical labs to confirm the presence of ricin.
Dr Renu Bindra of the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed an immediate "public health risk assessment" was undertaken after ricin was detected, determining a "low risk" to public safety. She remarked: "There was no evidence that any victims, responders or members of the public were exposed to ricin either as part of the incident or afterwards, our detailed initial risk assessment judged that the risk to the community and to the wider public was low."
Bebe King, aged six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, died while eight other children and two adults were severely injured.
Vigil held in Southport for the victims of the Southport knife attack (Image: ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Dance instructor Leanne Lucas, 35, suffered wounds to her neck, back, and arms while trying to protect her pupils.
Jonathan Hayes, who was at work nearby, also sustained a leg injury during his attempt to help those affected by the tragedy.
Merseyside Police delivered an update on the investigation at their Liverpool headquarters on Tuesday, while the force remains on high alert following outbreaks of violent riots in the wake of the attack.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy directly addressed rumours circulating on the internet about the police withholding information, clarifying that adherence to the Crown Prosecution Service's stringent guidelines is necessary to ensure a fair trial.
She stated: "I want to reassure the communities of Southport and the communities of Merseyside that we are committed to getting justice for the families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice, the 10 victims who were injured at Hart Street and the other 16 people who were present on that day.
"We are also committed to being open and transparent with our communities. However, I am sure you will appreciate that we also need to make sure that we do not prejudice this trial. You may have seen speculation online that the police are deciding to keep information from the public. This is certainly not the case.
"We have been given extensive guidance by the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to what we can say publicly to ensure the integrity of the court proceedings are protected, and therefore we are restricted in what we can share with you."
