Anti-terror police arrest three

The men are being held under the Terrorism Act 2000

Three men have been arrested by anti-terrorist police after being stopped at Gatwick airport.

The men aged 28, 29 and 30 were detained by immigration officials at the airport while "in transit" on Thursday at 1400 GMT, Scotland Yard said.

Officers from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism branch with their Sussex police colleagues arrested the men under the Terrorism Act 2000, at 1900 GMT on Friday.

They are currently in custody at a central London police station.

'No links'

The arrests are not believed to be linked to the counter-terrorism raid in Manchester on Tuesday in which Special Branch officer Stephen Oake was fatally stabbed.

Nor are they thought to be connected to the investigation into the discovery of the poison ricin in London.

A 27-year-old man was remanded in custody on Friday charged with the murder of Detective Constable Oake during the anti-terrorism operation.

He was also charged with the attempted murders of four other officers.

Scotland Yard has refused to disclose any further details about Friday's airport arrests, including information about the men's ethnic origin and whether they were leaving or arriving in Britain at the time they were stopped.

The men can be held for seven days under the terms of the Terrorism Act before being charged.

Other arrests

Meanwhile, in a separate operation on Saturday, police in Cheltenham arrested three men under the Terrorism Act near the government's communications centre, GCHQ.

A member of the public had reported them acting suspiciously on a road about a mile away from the base.

Police said the men had been detained awaiting interview.

They emphasised that the arrests were also not linked to the London or Manchester raids.