Six Held Over Suspected Terror Plot

Six people including three living over a mile from the Olympic and a former police community support officer been arrested over a suspected terror plot.

The alleged plan involved Islamist extremists potential targets in the UK, but was linked to the Olympics, it understood.

The arrests were of a pre-planned intelligence-led operation by the Metropolitan Police counter-terror command with armed officers, but the threat was not thought be imminent.

Five men and woman were arrested suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of of terrorism and were held at a south-east London police station, police said.

Three of the men, believed be members of the same Bangladeshi family, were arrested a raid a house in Stratford, east London.

One, 24, was Tasered during his arrest but not require hospital treatment, the Met spokesman added.

The were aged 18 and 26.

Neighbours said the occupants been there for more than a year and were frequently people coming and going the property.

They spoke of seeing men in Muslim-style robes and a woman a burka.

Trainee taxi driver Stephen Maguire, 23, said heard the police from bedroom in Eastbourne Road, overlooks the front of house.

"I heard the biggest bang and I saw a massive cloud of smoke and torches going at the windows," he said.

"It sounded they were gunshots but they weren't."

In Ealing, west London, a 29-year-old man was arrested the street, and a 21-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman held at separate residential premises.

Some of those held understood to be British nationals, and one is former police community support officer.

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: "One of the men arrested by the Counter Terror Command today served as a PCSO for the MPS from May 2007 to September 2009 he resigned.

"He was not deployed any specialist or sensitive roles."

The force said that eight residential premises east, west and north London and one business premises in east London were searched.

The arrests after Jonathan Evans, the director-general of the Security Service, warned last month Britain had experienced a "credible terrorist attack plot about once a year since 9/11".

"In back rooms and in cars and the streets of this country there is no shortage of individuals talking wanting to mount terrorist attacks here," he added.

The threat to the UK international terrorism is currently rated substantial - the third highest five levels.

The rating is set the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (Jtac), based MI5's headquarters at Thames House in central London, but is independent the service.

:: Meanwhile, Lancashire police charged a 20-year-old man from Burnley six terrorism offences following his arrest in another pre-planned operation.

Niall Florence was arrested his home during the operation on December 9 last year. He has been released bail until July 20.


Adapted from: Sky News, July 6, 2012.