Government says it became aware of new Southport charges in last few weeks

The astir elder figures successful authorities archetypal became alert of the anticipation of caller charges against the fishy successful the Southport murders successful the past fewer weeks, the BBC has been told.

A spokesperson for the premier curate said it was "not correct" to accidental the authorities had been progressive successful withholding facts from the public.

It comes aft the 2 candidates for the Conservative enactment said the authorities had questions to reply astir the caller charges.

Axel Rudakubana, 18 - who is accused of murdering 3 young girls successful Southport successful July - is facing 2 further charges, including 1 nether the coercion act.

He has charged with accumulation of a biologic toxin contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974.

He has besides been charged with possessing a PDF papers of a benignant apt to beryllium utile to a idiosyncratic committing to oregon preparing an enactment of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The teen had already been charged with the murders of 3 girls killed successful Southport, arsenic good arsenic 10 counts of attempted execution and possession of a knife.

To complaint idiosyncratic nether the Biological Weapons Act, the Crown Prosecution Service has to get consent from the government's instrumentality officers - the lawyer wide oregon solicitor general.

The BBC has been told that successful this case, consent was requested successful caller weeks, and granted "within days".

The teen had been owed successful tribunal successful Liverpool for a pre-trial mentation proceeding past Friday, 25 October.

That was postponed successful bid for each the charges to beryllium dealt with unneurotic astatine Westminster Magistrates Court, wherever helium volition look connected Wednesday 30 October.

The charging determination and its timing were a substance for the CPS, a authorities spokesperson added.

It comes aft the 2 candidates for the Conservative enactment raised questions astir the caller charges.

Robert Jenrick suggested that accusation was being "concealed" from the public.

“We were told for months that this was not a terror-related incident, and yet we person learnt that this individual, the suspect, was allegedly speechmaking al-Qaeda manuals and had entree to unsafe substances similar ricin," helium said.

"Given the standard of nationalist interest, I deliberation it is an important question to beryllium asked, wherefore was this accusation not enactment into the nationalist domain sooner? So I’m asking the nationalist authorities and the premier minister, what did they know, erstwhile did they larn it, and wherefore was the determination taken not to beryllium much honorable and transparent with the public."

Meanwhile Kemi Badenoch has suggested determination are "serious questions to beryllium asked of the police, the CPS and besides of Keir Starmer’s response".

She has not elaborated connected what those questions are, suggesting they should beryllium asked successful Parliament.

The constabulary accidental it is "certainly not the case" that they person been keeping things from the public. It would beryllium highly antithetic for them to merchandise details of a unrecorded constabulary investigation.

The CPS suggest it has taken clip to bring the charges due to the fact that this was a "lengthy and analyzable investigation".

The caller charges bash not mean the Southport attacks are being treated arsenic a violent incident.

Possessing a papers that could beryllium utile successful preparing an enactment of coercion is an wholly abstracted offence.

To beryllium labelled arsenic terrorism, the onslaught would person to beryllium an effort to beforehand a political, religious, radical oregon ideological cause. But it is not wide what imaginable information determination mightiness person been.

Authorities are urging radical not to speculate, arsenic it could jeopardise the full tribunal case.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "These further charges volition undoubtedly beryllium distressing for radical successful Southport.

"The astir important happening is to get justness for Bebe, Alice and Elsie and their heartbroken families, and each those affected by the onslaught and cipher should enactment that astatine risk.

"The constabulary and prosecutors person an important occupation to bash successful their investigation, pursuing each avenue and taking the enactment they request to up of the trial.

"We indispensable enactment them and guarantee that everything imaginable is done to present justice."