Soldier fromWales charged with terrorism offences

A SOLDIER from Wales is one of three men to have been charged with terrorism offences including allegedly being a member of a neoNazi group.

Mikko Vehvilainen, 32, from Llwyncyntefin, Sennybridge Camp, in Brecon, Powys, has been charged with multiple offences under the terrorism act.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, September 12, alongside two other men, one of whom is also understood to be a member of the Army.

Vehvilainen has been charged with being a member of a proscribed organisation, namely neoNazi group National Action.

He is also charged with possessing a document containing information likely to be useful for terrorism, two counts of publishing material which is threatening, abusive or insulting by posting comments on a website intending to stir up racial hatred, and possessing pepper spray.

The other two men charged are Mark Barrett, 24 from Dhekelia Garrison, Cyprus, who was also charged with one count of being a member of a proscribed organisation, again the group National Action.

Alexander Deakin, 22 from Beacon Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, was also charged with being a member of National Action possession of documents likely to be useful to a person preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

Deakin was also charged with distribution of a terrorist publication as well as a separate a charge of inciting racial hatred on July 9 last year by posting a number of National Action branded stickers at the Aston University campus in Birmingham.

Five men, including four serving soldiers, were held on suspicion of terror offences last week, West Midland Police said.

Two were released without charge on Saturday.

According to a West Midland Police spokesman the arrests were “pre-planned and intelligence-led and there was no risk to the public’s safety”.