British terror police given more time to question suspects

British anti-terrorism detectives questioning six men arrested in North East England have been granted more time to hold the suspects.

The six unnamed men appeared at an behind-closed-doors court sitting at Peterlee Magistrates Court, Co Durham, UK.

The order allows the British police to detain the men for a further 72 hours.

Under the provisions of Britain's new Terrorism Act 2000, police can detain suspects for seven days but have to apply for court extensions during that period.

Three of the men were arrested in the Darlington area of Co Durham and the other three at addresses on Teesside as part of a joint operation by neighbouring Durham and Cleveland police officers.

Included in the addresses raided, were two kebab shops, one in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool and one in Redcar.

Up to 150 officers, including armed police, staged simultaneous raids at the properties and arrested the men, aged between 29 and 46, on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities.

It emerged after the swoops that the arrests were not linked to any Irish terrorist groups, the events in America on September 11 or the recent arrests in Leicester.

The men are said to have been fundraising for Islamic fundamentalist organisations and were arrested as part of "ongoing inquiries into international terrorism".

British Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson, of Durham Police, who is co-coordinating the joint operation, said that searches were still being carried out at numerous properties and that the suspects were being held at various undisclosed police stations in Durham and Teesside.