The Metropolitan police said they had charged two teenagers with terrorism offences over suspected far-right activity.
Rex William Henry Clark, 18, and Sofia Vinogradova, 19, were both charged with preparing a terrorist act. Vinogradova, who was arrested on a firearms charge, was also charged with two counts of gathering information that may be useful to a person preparing or committing a terrorist act.
Both men were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Police said the investigation into the two girls, who were arrested in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was not sparked by the far-right riots which erupted across the country after three girls were stabbed to death in Southport.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism unit, said: “This is an extremely serious allegation but I would urge the public not to speculate further about this case at this time and to allow the criminal justice process to proceed unhindered.”
“We cannot comment on the details of the investigation now that these charges have been filed, but we want to assure the public that, while the investigation is ongoing, we do not believe there are any broader threats related to this investigation at this time.”
On August 4, officers from the Counter Terrorism Command arrested a 19-year-old woman on suspicion of possession of a firearm and collecting information that could be used by terrorists.
Detectives searched the address and the woman was taken to a London police station and then bailed pending further inquiries. On 10 August, she was arrested again at an address in Cheshunt.
An 18-year-old man from the same address was also arrested.
Further searches were carried out at an address in Cheshunt and another address in Ilford, after which detectives obtained further custody warrants for both the man and woman which will run until Saturday.
