Police mount anti-terrorism raid

Police stand outside a house near Irvine after the operation

Three people are being held by police after an operation in Ayrshire under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The men, aged 35, 32 and 18, were taken into custody by Strathclyde Police following in Irvine.

Several homes were evacuated during the operation which took place in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The men are being held at a police station in the Strathclyde area but police have declined to give any further details.

It is believed the police operation is investigating possible links with paramilitary loyalist groups in Northern Ireland.

The operation started just after 1900 BST and centred on the Broomlands area of Irvine.

About a dozen armed officers surrounded a residential address before police searched the premises.

Several bags of materials were taken away for examination by forensic officers.

Some streets in the surrounding area were cordoned off and an army bomb disposal unit attended the scene for a short time.