We just brought you the news that the teenager accused of killing three teenage girls in a stabbing attack in Southport in July was facing terrorism charges.

Axel Rudakubana had already been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder following the mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop.

The terrorism charge came after an al-Qaeda manual was found at his home.

The biological toxin ricin was also found and he faced charges of “producing a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Article 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974”.

Downing Street has denied withholding any information about the attack, which has been the subject of widespread speculation on social media.

A spokesman said charging decisions were “made independently by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)”.

This claim was echoed by Merseyside Police: “You may have seen speculation online that the police have decided to hide things from the public. This is simply not the case.”

“We have been given extensive guidance by the CPS on what we can say publicly to ensure the integrity of court proceedings is maintained and we are therefore limited in what we can currently share with you while the proceedings are live.”

‘Serious questions must be asked’

Kemi Badenoch, a favorite for the new Conservative party leader, said today’s developments were the reason she refrained from commenting as false speculation about the suspect spread online in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

He said of X: “Too many people on all sides are jumping to conclusions before all the facts are clear.

“As more information emerges it is clear that serious questions need to be asked about the police, the CPS and also Keir Starmer’s response to the whole situation.

“Parliament is the right place for this to happen. While we must comply with the contempt of court rules and not prejudice this case, it is also important that appropriate scrutiny is carried out.”

‘The public had the right to know’

Despite statements from Number 10 and the police, leadership rival Robert Jenrick said he was “seriously concerned the facts may have been withheld from the public”.

“This brutality has caused great public concern,” he added.

“The public had the right to know the truth immediately.

“Any allegations of a cover-up would permanently undermine public confidence in whether we are being told the truth about our country’s crimes.”