The Bastille Day terrorist sent a series of chilling text messages just minutes before his deadly attack on the Nice Riviera - delighting in his last minute preparations for the atrocity.

The revelation suggests drug-crazed Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was not a ‘lone wolf’ and had at least one helper.

The 31-year-old sent the message at 10.27pm on Thursday saying: ‘Bring more weapons, bring five of them to C.’ An earlier message said: ‘It’s good. I have the equipment,’ French TV reported.

The significance of ‘C’ was unclear but Bouhlel had hidden two pistols, ammunition, imitation machine guns and a grenade in the lorry cabin. He launched his attack at around 10.45pm.

Bouhlel had asked for the 'heaviest truck' available when he rented the 19-tonne vehicle and had spent two days driving up and down the Promenade des Anglais working out how to cause the greatest amount of damage.

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Delighted: Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel sent a series of texts just moments before his deadly attack , saying he was ready: 'Brought more weapons. It's good. I have the equipment'

Riddled: The phone with the final text messages was found in the bullet riddled cab of the truck, alongside Bouhlel's id card

The last text was sent at 10.27pm - minutes before he launched the truck down the Promenade des Anglais, killing and maiming everything in his path

Accomplices: Details of text messages Bouhlel sent from the phone found in the bullet-riddled cab emerged after seven people were arrested in connection with the attack

Now, details have emerged of text messages he sent moments before he slaughtered 84 people and injured hundreds of others who were watching a fireworks display.

He also took a selfie of himself in the truck between picking it up and going on his killing spree, sending it via SMS to others it has now been claimed.

And in further messages now revealed according to Nice Matin, the local newspaper, he talked of his delight in obtaining a 7.65 pistol and his hope for getting other weapons.

More than 200 investigators are now working on identifying all recipients of the killer’s texts as they circle in on who knew what, when and why.

And a neighbour of the truck terrorist has described the moment they heard the bodybuilder chillingly tell neighbours 'one day, you'll hear about me' before he carried out the attack.

Meanwhile, his brother has told how Bouhlel, 31, sent him a selfie where he was 'laughing a lot' in the French seaside city just hours before he drove the lorry into crowds at around 40mph.

The texts were sent from the mobile found in the lorry cab, along with the killer's driving licence and bank card, after police shot him down in a hail of gunfire.

The text was sent at 10.27pm to one of the men now in custody following the police swoop on the killer's friends and 'entourage'. It ended 'Bringing in five to C'.

It now appears that at least one of his messages was sent to another also in custody.

Dominique Rizet, crime editor of BMF TV said the five was presumably five minutes but who, he added, was C?

Rizet, who is known to have superb contacts within the judiciary, said on BMF TV that the killer managed to find a 'hole' big enough to drive on to the Promenade. Everywhere else was blocked off for full pedestrian access during the celebrations.

Grief: Mourners gathered to day to pay their respects as two more people were arrested in connection with the terror attack, taking the total taken into custody to seven

A man who was injured during the July 14 attack left a local hospital on crutches today

He added: 'He knew exactly where he was going, what he was doing.'

It is not clear whether Bouhlel was self-radicalised or brainwashed by a preacher of hate. Worshippers at a mosque in Nice told the Mail that Bouhlel had never prayed there.

Meanwhile, his neighbours have said Bouhlel 'drank alcohol, ate pork and took drugs' in the wake of the attacks.

Neighbour Walid-Hamou, who came from the same town as Bouhlel in Tunisia, claims he overheard an argument between the killer and another person who told him that he was 'worthless'.

He told the Independent: 'He was even drinking just before he did this.

'He was heard arguing with someone who told him that he was worthless. Lahouaiej Bouhlel shouted back "one day, you'll hear about me"'.

'He was heard arguing with someone who told him that he was worthless. Lahouaiej Bouhlel shouted back "one day, you'll hear about me"'.

Bouhlel was on a cocktail of drugs for schizophrenia, alcoholism and depression, it has also emerged. The Bastille Day mass murderer was prescribed the medicine to control increasingly violent rages.

The 31-year-old had been on medication since the age of 12 – a year before he left his hometown in Tunisia to move to Nice.

His father Mohamed Mondher showed the Daily Mail a prescription from 2004 that pointed to his disturbed mental state.

Neighbours have said Bouhlel was a petty criminal who spent his time drinking alcohol, bodybuilding and trying to pick up women.

They added that the 31-year-old Tunisian showed no signs of radicalisation until recently and never made it onto the radar of intelligence services.

One of nine siblings, Bouhlel had two brothers - Jaber and Haroun. and five sisters Sarrah, Asma, Rabeb, Assia, Emna and Zayneb.

He enrolled at the University of Monastir, some 30km from his home in Msaken, north eastern Tunisia, to study engineering.

However he dropped out after two years to marry his cousin, Hajer, and move to France.

His is neighbours have said Bouhlel (left and right) 'drank alcohol, ate pork and took drugs' in the wake of the attacks

Those who knew the killer said he was well known for his 'violent temper' and had trained as a boxer in Tunisia.

It has also emerged that he has a criminal record in Tunisia following one conviction for physical abuse.

BMF TV, which released details of the texts, said the message was ambiguous and he was probably demanding more guns… rather than stating he had brought more.

KILLER ON DRUGS TO CURB RAGE Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was on a cocktail of drugs for schizophrenia, alcoholism and depression. The Bastille Day mass murderer was prescribed the medicine to control increasingly violent rages. The 31-year-old had been on medication since the age of 12 – a year before he left his hometown in Tunisia to move to Nice. His father Mohamed Mondher showed the Daily Mail a prescription from 2004 that pointed to his disturbed mental state. The medicines left him prone to side- effects including aggression, suicidal urges and hallucinations. Aged 19, he was on Haldol, used to control schizophrenia, Tranxene for alcoholism and anxiety, and Elavil for depression. His alleged use of cannabis and illegal pills could have made him even more volatile. Further side effects include severe sexual problems. Advertisement

Video surveillance which has been viewed by investigators shows Bouhlel at the wheel of the hired lorry on Tuesday and Wednesday driving up and down the famous Promenade des Anglais.

According to sources, he can be seen observing the scene carefully as he plots his assault on the Bastille Day revellers.

The revelation comes as French police today arrested a man and a woman believed to be linked to Bouhlel - bringing the total number of those arrested to eight.

Another man was arrested and taken in for questioning this afternoon by police in Nice. He is the eighth person to be taken into custody since early Friday.

The number being held has fallen to six after Bouhlel's estranged wife Hajer Khalfallah - who was among those arrested on Friday - was released this morning.

The mother of three was in hiding today after fleeing to her mother's apartment following her release from custody shortly before lunchtime on Sunday.

She left a central Nice police station with her lawyer and was driven to her mother's home which is on the same rough housing estate in the north of the city where she had shared a home with Bouhlel.

A source close to the police investigation said: 'Hajer Khalfallah was released at about 11 this morning.

'She left the police station with her lawyer.

'She has gone to stay with her mother who lives on same housing estate.'

Hundreds were injured when Bouhlel ploughed into them in the Bastille Day attack - and some have started leaving hospital

Bouhlel's estranged wife Hajer Khalfallah, who was among those arrested on Friday, was released this morning

The lorry used by truck terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was towed away the day after the atrocity in Nice

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and described the father of three as a 'soldier' who had responded to 'calls to target nations of coalition states that are fighting (IS)'.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the picture emerging during questioning of scores of friends and relatives was of someone who 'seemed to have been radicalised very quickly'.

Bouhlel arrived in France from the northeastern Tunisian town of Msaken in 2005.

Police searched the hired lorry after the crazed terrorist killed at least 84 people in Nice

He gained residency a year later, married a local woman of Tunisian origin, with whom he had his children, and went to work as a delivery driver.

His father Mondher Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who lost touch with his son years ago, said his son had shown no interest in religion as a youth.

Mr Bouhlel, who still lives in Tunisia, said: 'He didn't pray, he didn't fast, he drank alcohol. He even took drugs.'

Patrons of the small Nice gym where the bodybuilding truck terrorist was a regular until two years ago described him as a 'show-off' and a flirt.

One woman described him as someone 'who flirted with anything that moved'.

Neighbours of Bouhlel - who took salsa classes - said he was often seen drinking beer.

In March, the truck driver received a six-month suspended jail sentence over a violent confrontation after a car accident.

One former neighbour, who also asked not to be named, described him as violent man who had lashed out after his wife requested a divorce.

He said: 'He cut up his daughter's teddy bear and slashed the mattress.

'I don't think there was a radicalisation issue, I think there was a psychiatric problem.'

His father claimed his son suffered from depression and that he would be become angry, but a South African man who looked on in horror as he rammed his rental truck into the crowd on the Nice promenade said he looked 'calm' and very focused.

John Lambert told his country's ENCA channel: 'It was almost like he was playing a video game, he was just focused on his job, trying to hit as many as possible.'

His brother Jaber said he sent a picture of himself laughing as he mingled with the crowd on the Nice promenade on Thursday.

He said that his brother called him for a final time just hours before the attack and then sent the selfie in the southern French city.

His brother Jaber (pictured) said he sent a picture of himself laughing as he mingled with the crowd on the Nice promenade on Thursday

Islamic community leaders condemned the attrocity as they address the media outside of the hospital in Nice today

Jaber said: 'That last day he said he was in Nice with his European friends to celebrate the national holiday.

'He seemed very happy and pleased, he was laughing a lot.

'He spoke to me about the town of M'saken, about boxing and sport, and how he was going to come back to M'saken soon.

'He asked for news about our parents ... he always spoke to me, we were very close.

'He sent us small sums of money recently, sometimes 300 or 400 euros and mobile telephones.'

He cut up his daughter's teddy bear and slashed the mattress. 'I don't think there was a radicalisation issue, I think there was a psychiatric problem.

Bouhlel's sister has said he was treated for psychological issues for years before leaving Tunisia.

A psychiatrist who treated him more than a decade ago said that he had been aggressive towards his parents and had body image problems.

The psychiatrist, Chemceddine Hamouda, said Bouhlel's parents brought him to his clinic in M'saken in August 2004.

Hamouda said: 'He had behavioural problems with his parents at that time ... he was very aggressive with them.

'Sometimes he had tried to lock his parents in a room in their house.

'He had problems with his body. He said: "Why am I thin? I'm not happy with my body."

'I just gave him some pills to calm these behavioural issues and this aggression.'

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Bouhlel's estranged wife says she was no longer in touch with her husband.

Jean-Yves Garino told BFM-TV on Sunday that Ms Khalfallah had been physically abused by her husband, and eventually threw him out of the house.

Garino said 'it was hard, but she did it', adding, 'she was no longer in contact with him'.

He said Bouhlel also was violent with the rest of the family, including the woman's mother.