Two teenagers have been charged with preparing terrorist acts as part of an investigation into suspected extreme right-wing terrorism activity, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Rex Clark, 18, of Ilford, east London, and Sofija Vinogradova, 19, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, were both charged with preparation of terrorist acts, while Vinogradova was also charged with two counts of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
The pair have been remanded in custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The Met said the charges were not related to the riots across the country that followed the Southport attack.
Vinogradova was first arrested on 4 August at a Cheshunt address on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm and collection of information likely to be of use to a terrorist, police said.
The property was searched, and she was taken to a police station before being released on bail, pending further enquiries.
On 10 August, she was arrested again, along with Clark, at an address in Cheshunt. Further searches were then carried out of the Cheshunt address and an address in Ilford.
Following liaison with Crown Prosecution Service, charges were brought on Thursday.
The head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, Commander Dominic Murphy, said: “These are extremely serious charges, but I would urge the public not to speculate any further about this case at this time and allow the criminal justice process to run its course unimpeded.
