A Sennybridge-based soldier is one of three men to appear before a court charged with terrorism offences.

Mikko Vehvilainen, who is aged 32 and based at the Sennybridge Camp, in the village near Brecon, is charged with four offences.

He and two other men, Alexander Deakin, who is aged 22 and from Beacon Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, who also faces four offences, and Mark Barrett, aged 24, from Dhekelia Garrison in Cyprus, who is charged with one offence, were remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court .

All three are accused of being members of banned neo-Nazi group National Action, an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Vehvilainen also faces a charge of possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, also under the 2000 act.

He is also accused, under the Public Order Act, of two counts of publishing threatening, abusive or insulting comments online intended to stir up racial hatred and of possessing pepper spray - an offence weapon.

Deakin is also accused of possessing documents likely to be useful to a person preparing to commit an act of terrorism and distributing a terrorist publication.

He also faces a charge under the Public Order Act of positing National Action branded stickers at the Aston University campus in Birmingham.

The three were among five men arrested on September 5 and two others have been released without charge.

West Midlands Police said the arrests were "pre-planned and intelligence-led" with no threat to public safety.