Hospital alert 'not a terror incident'

A security alert at a hospital in which four men were arrested was not a terrorist-related incident, a local MP said today.

Stafford MP David Kidney said he understood there was "no substance" in the arrests made at the town's General Hospital under the Terrorism Act last night.

The Labour politician said: "I have spoken to police and now they've carried out their initial investigations, this isn't a terrorist incident and there's no substance in this particular incident.

"It was probably members of staff with a heightened state of awareness ahead of the Queen's visit tomorrow reporting something they thought was suspicious."