Anti-terror police hold six in dawn raid

Six men were arrested today after dawn swoops on properties in the north east of England in connection with alleged terrorism, police said.

The men, aged between 29 and 46, were detained during raids by more than 150 officers from the Durham and Cleveland forces, some of them armed.

The simultaneous raids were carried out in Darlington, County Durham, and at locations in Redcar, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, in Teesside.

A Durham Police spokesman said the raids were conducted after officers had worked with anti–terrorism officers from New Scotland Yard gathering information.

The six suspects were being held at undisclosed police stations in the regions.

The men are suspected of raising funds and providing logistical support for

international Islamic terrorism.

But they are not being directly linked to the events of September 11 and are not thought to be members of al Qaida.

Searches were being carried out at their homes today.

Police raided a kebab takeaway shop called Antonio's in Seaton Carew near

Hartlepool, Teesside, at 7am.

Neighbour Susan Baxter said the takeaway was leased since last September by an Arab man from Denmark.

The premises on the town's seafront had been owned for 10 years by a man named Sala and his English wife Susan.

Mrs Baxter said: "The man said he was from Denmark and there was always a lot of different comings and goings. But there's been nothing suspicious about next door.

"It is just being run as a kebab house and I wouldn't have thought he was involved in terrorism – they all seemed like really nice people.

"I did think it was funny taking over the place in September because it gets quiet over winter.

"It just seems in little village like this, you can't believe something like this happening."

A forensics team was today still inside the small terraced property.

Several boxes had been removed from the premises during this morning.