Police prevented from telling public more about Southport killer Axel Rudakubana by CPS lawyers

COPS wanted to tell the public more about Southport knifeman Axel Rudakubana but were prevented from doing so by Crown Prosecution Service lawyers.

In October Merseyside Police confirmed he had been charged with possession of a terrorist document and the poison ricin.

But they were advised to keep the information to a minimum, fuelling rumours of a cover-up.

And after Rudakubana pleaded guilty, CPS lawyers tried to prevent the media revealing he had wanted to carry out an attack at his former school and stockpiled weapons bought from Amazon.

The media was also initially prevented from saying Rudakubana had been reported to the anti-terror Prevent programme.

Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “We have been accused of purposely withholding information, this is absolutely not the case.

“From day one we have been as open as we possibly could and have constantly been in touch with the CPS who have advised us on what information could be released.

"We have wanted to say much more but we have been advised throughout we couldn’t do so as it would risk justice being delivered.”