Two people have been charged with terrorism offences after counter-terror police alleged they were members of a banned far-right group.

Mark Jones, 23, and Alice Cutter, 22, both of Wharf Street, Halifax, were charged with being members of the proscribed organisation National Action contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000 following an investigation by West Midlands counter terrorism unit.



They are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 7 September.

Two men, aged 22 and 28 both from Birmingham, continue to be detained after detectives were granted a warrant of further detention.



A 17-year-old male from Nottingham has been granted bail as the investigation continues with police conducting a series of raids on properties.

The five were arrested on Wednesday by West Midlands counter-terrorism unit in conjunction with counter-terror police from other forces.

National Action became the first far-right group to be banned under terrorism laws since the second world war in December 2016.

The group celebrated the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016, and this summer one of its alleged pre-ban members pleaded guilty to plotting to murder Rosie Cooper, another Labour MP.

Last month the the former head of the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism unit said the UK had not “woken up” to the threat posed by the far right.

Mark Rowley said National Action’s online material advising on how to sow tension and discord in communities while evading police surveillance constituted “a strategy for a terrorist group”.

“For the first time since the second world war we have a domestic terrorist group, it’s rightwing, it’s neo-Nazi, it’s proudly white supremacist, portraying a violent and wicked ideology,” Rowley told BBC Newsnight.