Man charged over 'chemical weapon'

A man from Liverpool has been charged with attempting to obtain a chemical weapon, police have said.

Mohammed Ammer Ali, 31, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London on Tuesday.

He was arrested on Wednesday, when officers from North West Counter Terrorism Unit and Merseyside Police searched five Merseyside addresses.

Officers have uncovered no plan or threat of an imminent attack either at home or abroad, police said.

The suspect is accused of attempting to have a chemical weapon in his possession between January 10 and February 12, contrary to the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 and the Chemical Weapons Act 1996.