A man who launched a knife attack on a woman he believed worked at GCHQ has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

Joshua Bowles, 29, punched and stabbed the victim, who is referred to in charges only by the code number “99230”, at a leisure centre some three miles from the UK intelligence agency’s Cheltenham base on the evening of 9 March.

Bowles, of Welwyn Mews, Cheltenham, appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of the woman.

Bowles was charged following an investigation by counter-terror police and prosecutors said he targeted the woman because he believed she worked at GCHQ and represented the state.

An earlier hearing was told he was armed with two knives when he launched the attack at about 9.15pm as she left the leisure centre, in Tommy Taylors Lane, with a friend.

The victim suffered multiple stab injuries and was taken to hospital, where she was said at the time to be in a stable condition.

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