Police quiz 12 men after terror raids across UK

Anti-terrorism police arrested 13 men suspected of planning terror acts in raids across England yesterday. The men, in their 20s and 30s, were arrested in north-west London, Hertfordshire, Luton, Bedfordshire, and Blackburn, Lancashire.

Anti-terrorism police arrested 13 men suspected of planning terror acts in raids across England yesterday. The men, in their 20s and 30s, were arrested in north-west London, Hertfordshire, Luton, Bedfordshire, and Blackburn, Lancashire.

Today police said one of the men arrested in Willesden, north London, had been "de-arrested" and released without further action.

Detectives are continuing to question 12 men, aged between 19 and 32 years, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said.Officers were executing search warrants granted under the Terrorism Act 2000, the spokesman said.

Scotland Yard said the arrests formed part of "inquiries by security services into alleged international terrorism" and that they were part of a "pre-planned, intelligence-led operation". It is understood the intelligence came from MI5.

The timing of the raids was brought forward in the wake of the publicity over the perceived threat to US financial institutions, although the arrests were not connected with that threat.

The men were arrested "on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism" under the Terrorism Act 2000 and were being questioned at London police stations. Scotland Yard said "a number of search warrants" had been executed, but "no hazardous substances had been found". Fewer than one-in-five of the 562 arrested under the Act since 11 September 2001 have been charged.