Three charged with terror offences in probe into National Action neo-Nazi group

Three men have been charged with terrorism offences as part of an investigation into banned neo-Nazi group National Action.

Five men, including four serving soldiers, were held on suspicion of terror offences last week, West Midlands Police said.

Alexander Deakin, 22, from Beacon Road in Birmingham, Mikko Vehvilainen, 32, with an address at Llwyncyntefin, Sennybridge Camp, Brecon, and Mark Barrett, 24, with an address at Gaza Crescent, Dhekelia Garrison, Cyprus, have been charged with membership of the group.

All three are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Deakin is also charged with possession of documents likely to be useful to a person preparing to commit an act of terrorism, and distribution of a terrorist publication.

He faces a separate charge of inciting racial hatred including concerning National Action stickers posted at Aston University campus in Birmingham in July last year.

Vehvilainen is charged with possessing a document containing information likely to be useful for terrorism, publishing material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, posting comments on a website intending to stir up racial hatred, and possessing pepper spray.

Police said: "The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led and there was no risk to the public's safety."

The force said a man from Northampton and another from Ipswich, both aged 24, were released without charge on Saturday following inquiries.

National Action, described by the Home Office as "virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic", became the first extreme right-wing group to be banned under terrorism laws in December 2016.