Southport tragedy: Downing Street denies cover-up amid new terror charges against suspect

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Downing Street has refuted claims of concealing information about the Southport attacks from the public, as the two Tory leadership contenders questioned whether there had been a cover-up following the announcement of a terror charge against the suspect.

The teenager accused of fatally stabbing three girls at a dance class in Southport has been charged with production of a deadly poison and a terror offence, according to Merseyside Police.

18 year old Axel Rudakubana will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink on Wednesday, facing charges of producing a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

He is already facing charges for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, who were stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Hart Street, Southport, on July 29.

Rudakubana is also charged with the attempted murder of eight other children, instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, as well as possession of a knife.

Downing Street maintained that the timing of the latest charging announcement was a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

However, Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick expressed his concerns that facts may have been withheld from the public.

He commented: "Any suggestion of a cover-up will permanently damage public trust in whether we're being told the truth about crime in our country. Keir Starmer must urgently explain to the country what he knew about the Southport attack and when he learned it."

"Across the board the hard reality of mass migration is being covered up. We need the truth - and we need to change."

His Conservative counterpart, Kemi Badenoch, expressed that "serious questions to be asked of the police, the CPS and also of Keir Starmer's response to the whole situation" surrounded the actions of the police, the CPS and Keir Starmer's handling of the incident.

Penning her thoughts on X, previously known as Twitter, she stated: "Parliament is the right place for this to happen. While we must abide by the rules of contempt of court and not prejudice this case, it is important that there is appropriate scrutiny."

Downing Street was quick to dismiss any allegations that the Government had had a hand in the timing of the charge announcement.

A spokeswoman insisted: "No, charging decisions and when those are made are for the CPS."

She further clarified that it was "not correct" to assert that the Government had withheld facts from the public domain.

The fresh charges were announced following searches at Rudakubanas residence in Banks, Lancashire, with Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy disclosing the findings at a press briefing on Tuesday.

The terror offence is linked to a PDF document titled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual.

Searches subsequent to the attack led to various discoveries, although the specific timing of finding ricin remains unconfirmed.

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