Woolwich murder suspect moved to police station after being discharged from hospital

 
PA / MOD
28 May 2013
WEST END FINAL

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One of the men shot by police in the wake of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby has been discharged from hospital, Scotland Yard said.

The 22-year-old, understood to be Michael Adebowale, from Greenwich, south east London, was taken into custody at a police station in south London this afternoon.

He was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Drummer Rigby on May 22, and this afternoon was further arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of a police officer.

He will now be interviewed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command.

Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo, 28, have been recovering in hospital after they were both shot by armed police in the immediate aftermath of Drummer Rigby's murder.

The young soldier was hacked to death near Woolwich barracks in south-east London last Wednesday, and since his death detectives have arrested 10 people.

These include Adebowale and Adebolajo, as well as a 50-year-old man who was held in Welling, south-east London yesterday and is currently being questioned.

A 22-year-old man arrested in Highbury, north London, on Sunday, and three men detained on Saturday over the killing have all been released on bail, as has a fifth man, aged 29.

Two women, aged 29 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder but later released without charge.

In the wake of the attack it emerged that Adebolajo and Adebowale were both known to MI5.

Adebolajo was also arrested by Kenyan authorities three years ago because they feared he was attempting to join an al Qaida-linked militant group, the country's anti-terrorism police said.

The murder has sparked a flurry of activity by far right group the English Defence League, and yesterday more than 1,000 supporters marched to Downing Street chanting "Muslim killers off our streets" and "There's only one Lee Rigby" in tribute to the soldier.

A massive police presence kept them separate from a smaller group of anti-fascist activists, with officers making 13 arrests in total for a range of public order offences.

Forces charity Help for Heroes announced it will not accept any donations raised by EDL leader Tommy Robinson or other members of the group, or any political party.

Police are now investigating two attacks by vandals on the RAF Bomber Command memorial and the Animals in War memorial in London.

Both were daubed with graffiti and although the words written on the two memorials have now been covered up, it is thought "Islam" had been written on each of them.

Home Secretary Theresa May has strongly indicated she would seek to revive legislation giving security agencies access to public communications data.

She told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "We are now working through across the Government what action we can take but I'm clear, the law enforcement agencies, the intelligence agencies need access to communications data and that is essential to them doing their job."

Her disclosure came after Downing Street confirmed the launch of a new terror taskforce to crack down on extremism.

The group, comprising Cabinet ministers and top police and security service officials, will focus on radical preachers who seek out potential recruits in prisons, schools, colleges and mosques.

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