Third London attacker named

London police have named the third member of the gang who killed seven people on Saturday.

Italian national Youssef Zaghba, 22, identified by Italian and British law enforcement bodies as the third man shot dead by police officers during the attack on London Bridge and Borough Market is seen on right with the other two men named, Khuram Shazad Butt on left and Rachid Redouane, in an undated image handed out by the Metropolitan Police, June 6, 2017.  [Photo/Agencies]

Youssef Zaghba, 22, an Italian with a Moroccan father and Italian mother, had been stopped from travelling to Syria in 2016 and charged with terrorism offences by Italian police which were later dropped, according to local media reports.

Police named Khuran Butt, 27 and Rachid Redouane, 30, as the other two members of the gang on Monday. Italian media reported that Italian police informed their UK counterparts of Zaghba’s background. British authorities would have been entitled to deny the Italian entry into the country.

The reports about Zaghba could put further pressure on British Prime Minister Theresa May after she was forced to defend her record of reducing spending on security and reducing police numbers. Butt was also well known to police as a member of a high profile group of Islamists who had also appeared on a television documentary.

Police in London continued to gather information about the killers and possible accomplices. They released 12 people who were detained on Sunday but a 13th person was arrested on Tuesday in east London.

So far only three victims have been named: Kirsty Boden and Christine Archibald, from Canada, and Londoner James McMullan. Eighteen people remain in hospital critical care.