Explosives found in terror house

Police were still searching the house until 2 o'clock this morning

A man suspected of having links with al-Qaeda and arrested under the Terrorism Act, will be questioned by the Metropolitan Police today. Detectives say they have found explosives at his home in Gloucester.

He was taken last night to a police station in Central London. The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, warned that the man had posed 'a very real threat to the life and liberty of our country.'

The area in Gloucester where the explosives were found has now been made safe by anti terrorist officers, although many residents had already decided to spend the night at bed and breakfast accommodation.

Breakfast had more on this throughout Friday's programme

Peter Lane was in Gloucester where the man was arrested on Thursday

We heard from Bill Durodie, an expert on terrorism at the Centre for Defence Studies in Oxford - click on the link above to see that item.

You can also find out more by watching Yvonne Ndege's report for Breakfast.

The explosives recovered have been made safe, and although it's thought there was only a small quantity, they would have been capable, according to detectives of causing considerable damage.

The 24 year old man arrested and now in custody in London is a British citizen of Pakistani origin who is well known in the local Asian community in Gloucester. He had been under surveillance by the police and the security service M15

Exactly what the explosives found in Gloucester might have been used for remains a matter for speculation. It is a fact however that senior police officers have been warning for months that a suicide bomber could strike in Britain.

The arrest and explosive find comes a week after two terrorist attacks in Turkey.