Ten men have been arrested as part of a counter-terrorism operation across the north west of England.

Addresses are being raided, including an internet cafe in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester and a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire.

Counter-terrorism officers also arrested two men at the main library at Liverpool John Moores University.

Officers from the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit carried out the raids with support from other forces.

Merseyside Police, Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary are helping carry out the series of raids which were launched on Wednesday afternoon.

It is thought the raids were brought forward following a security leak earlier on Wednesday.

Photographers caught Britain's most senior counter terrorism police officer, Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, clutching sensitive documents as he arrived at 10 Downing Street for a briefing.

Students at Liverpool John Moores University said two men were walking towards the library when 14 armed police officers surrounded and arrested them.

BBC News

Anti-terror searches continuing



Police are continuing to search 10 properties across the north-west of England in connection with an alleged planned terror attack.

Twelve men - 11 of them Pakistani and most of them students - are still being questioned over the alleged plot.

Photographs found at one location are being examined, the BBC has learned.

Downing Street said Gordon Brown has spoken to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who are both "committed to work together" to combat terrorism.

Police arrested the 12 suspects during a series of raids in Manchester, Liverpool and Clitheroe in Lancashire.

The planned operation had to be brought forward to Wednesday following a security blunder by Britain's anti-terror chief.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick had been photographed carrying documents with details of the alleged plot clearly visible. He resigned on Thursday.

Since the raids, forensic officers have been gathering evidence at 14 properties in north-west England and taking away vehicles for examination.

Senior officers have insisted there was no intelligence pointing to any specific targets.

But the BBC's Nick Ravenscroft said sources had confirmed that photographs of four popular Manchester locations were recovered during searches.

These were the Arndale and Trafford Centre shopping complexes, Birdcage nightclub and St Ann's Square.

THE BBC

Liverpool flats sealed off and searched as police look for Al-Qaeda bomb factory



ANTI-terror police were today searching a second address in a Liverpool block of flats.

The flats on Highgate Street, Edge Hill, have been sealed off since being raided on Wednesday night as police look for a suspected Al-Qaeda bomb factory.

Their efforts were initially concentrated on one flat inside the crumbling building but the search has now spread to a second address.

Extra officers arrived in the road just after 11.30am today and were seen entering the premises clutching evidence bags. A number of items were removed from Highgate Street yesterday and taken away for analysis.

Police believe by arresting 12 men in Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire they have foiled a potentially major terrorist attack. All the suspects - including the five arrested in Liverpool - were still in custody today.

Further searches at properties in Edge Hill and Toxteth were also continuing.

Greater Manchester Police, who are leading the investigation, today said in the initial stage of the operation on Wednesday, two further men were technically arrested on Merseyside.

However, as soon as their identities were verified they were dearrested. Police said, contrary to some media reports, neither was taken into a police station, held in cells or interviewed for several hours.

LIVERPOOL ECHO

I'd like to know what they were doing to get arrested. Terrorism now covers such a wide scope of crimes. I used to make small bombs when I was younger. Am I being cynical?

Students film action at university
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Police Anti Terror Blunder Raids

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Ten arrested in anti-terror raids in England

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its really serious now, if caught on the docks without due course, ie: as me n robbo were last year (taking photographs of scenery) you will be treated as a terrorist, you are also not allowed to photograph any parts of the docks or tunnels

Police get extra time to quiz Liverpool terror suspects




POLICE have been given more time to question 11 men held for an alleged terror plot.

A total of 12 men were arrested on April 8 after officers raided 14 addresses in Liverpool, Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

An 18-year-old man was released without charge last week into the custody of the UK Borders Agency, which regulates immigration and can investigate the status of those entering the country.

The North West Counter Terrorism Unit was last night given a further seven days to question seven of the men, aged between 22 and 37, and two further days to question the other four arrested men, aged 23, 41, and two aged 26. They are being held in various locations across the country.



THE ECHO