A "significant" terror threat in the West Midlands is inevitable, the region's top police officer has said.
West Midlands Police Chief Constable Paul Scott-Lee told BBC Midlands Today the fact the Midlands had featured in terror inquiries was not surprising.
But he also praised the strong communities in the area who wanted to identify terrorists and criminals.
Mr Scott-Lee said people in the region should understand "there is going to be a significant threat happening here".
"We have got a real strength of community behind us "
The chief constable was speaking following a national operation over an alleged plot to bring down planes during which raids where carried out in Birmingham.
No-one from the city has been charged over the plot.
Mr Scott-Lee said: "Most of the inquiries that take place in Britain in some form or another have a connection with the Midlands and that shouldn't surprise us.
"But it is a reality we have to live with.
"The real strength we have though is wherever we look the communities, the individuals, who live, work and come to the West Midlands are as anxious as anyone else to actually identify the terrorists, identify the criminals, and get them dealt with by the police.
"So we have got a real strength of community behind us but we have to be realistic living where we are in the country there is going to be a significant threat happening here."
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