A man who plotted the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing has been charged with attempting to murder three prison officers and assaulting a fourth.
Hashem Abedi, who was jailed for a minimum of 55 years in 2020 for helping to plan the suicide bombing with his brother who detonated the device, is accused of attacking the four officers at high-security HMP Frankland on 11 April.
The 28-year-old, who had been housed in a separation unit at the County Durham jail at the time, also faces a fifth charge of unauthorised possession of a knife.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 18 September.
Abedi is being formally prosecuted under the terrorism protocol, meaning that prosecutors will be arguing the offences had a terrorist motivation.
Counter Terrorism Policing North East said the charges followed a “thorough investigation” alongside Durham Constabulary and prison authorities.
Three prison officers were taken to hospital with serious injuries following the incident on 11 April.
