A suspected Russian spy who was living in Norfolk will face trial next year.

Orlin Roussev, of Princes Road in Great Yarmouth, is among five Bulgarians accused of spying for the Russian state.

It has been confirmed that they will all go on trial next autumn. 

The 45-year-old was arrested in February and is accused of conspiring to gather information that would be useful to an enemy since August 2020.

Roussev will go on trial alongside Bizer Dzhambazov, 42, of High Road, Harrow, north-west London, Katrin Ivanova, 32, of the same address, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, from Bannister Close, Greenford, west London, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, from Churchfield Road, Acton, north-west London.

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Roussev, Dzhambazov and Ivanova are also charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention.

During a hearing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker set the trial date of October 28 2024 and formally joined the identity documents and spying conspiracy cases.

The trial will be heard by a High Court judge with an estimated duration of four months.

The defendants, who all have EU settled status, were not asked to enter pleas as they appeared by video link from various prisons.

They were remanded into custody ahead of the next hearing in the case on March 22.

The court has previously heard the defendants were arrested in February this year for alleged offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act.

They are alleged to be part of a “network” conducting surveillance on behalf of the Russian state of which a large part took place abroad but co-ordination took place in the UK.