A man has been charged with four terrorism offences following allegations that he assisted Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad al Shamie with earlier reconnaissance of a UK defence facility, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Mohammad Bashir, 31, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The CPS said the assistance provided was not in relation to the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue by Shamie.

Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Today, we have decided to prosecute Mohammad Bashir with terrorism offences – following a Counter Terrorism Policing North West investigation into his conduct linked to Jihad Al Shamie.

“Our prosecutors have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge Mohammad Bashir with one offence of preparation of terrorist acts and three offences of sharing terrorist publications with al Shamie and others with the intent to encourage acts of terrorism.

“We have worked closely with Counter Terrorism Policing North West as they carried out their investigation.”

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