The teenager accused of murdering three young girls in Southport has been charged with possessing a military study of an Al-Qaeda training manual and the manufacture of ricin poison.

       Axel Rudakubana, who is charged with carrying out a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July, is accused of producing ricin - a biological toxin - and keeping materials related to the terrorist group.

       The manual, a PDF titled “Military studies in the jihad against the tyrants: The Al-Qaeda training manual” and the poison were found during a search of his home, police said.

       At a press conference in Liverpool, Merseyside Police said the events of July 29 have not been declared a terrorist incident because no motive has been established.

       Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “At this time Counter Terrorism Policing has not declared the events of 29 July a terrorist incident.

       “I recognise that these new charges may lead to speculation. The matter for which Axel Rudakubana has been charged under the Terrorism Act doesn’t require motive to be established.

       “For a matter to be declared a terrorist incident, motivation would need to be established.”

       Mr Rudakubana, who is 18 but was 17 at the time of the attack, is charged with the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.

       He is also charged with the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and with possession of a knife.

       For an act to formally be treated as terrorism by UK authorities, it must meet a series of legal tests drawn up over two decades ago and laid out in the Terrorism Act 2000.

       The law states that the incident must involve the use or threat of serious violence, or serious damage to property, be designed to influence the government, to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

       While the first two hurdles are swiftly cleared in cases involving bombings, stabbings and mass violence, the need to prove that an attack is designed to further a wider cause is currently proving increasingly difficult.

       Detectives found an unknown substance in Mr Rudakubana’s home in a search following the attack in Hart Space, Southport. Tests later confirmed that the substance was ricin.

       He was today charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with the production of a biological toxin, contrary to section one of the Biological Weapons Act 1984, and possessing the manual under section 58 of the Terrorism Act.

       Born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, Mr Rudakubana’s identity was revealed after a judge lifted a reporting restriction after an application made by the press.

       The attack sparked widespread protests and disorder across the country which had been fuelled by speculation online about the attacker and his motives, including inaccurate claims that he was an asylum seeker.

       Violent riots saw dozens of police officers injured, wheelie bins set alight and police vehicles set on fire.

       Since July 29, police have made a total of 1,590 arrests and brought a total number of 1,015 charges, according to the National Police Chief’s Council.