Students Arrested In 'Terror' Raids Released Without Charge

Twelve men who were arrested over a suspected UK bomb plot have been released without charge, it has emerged.

Of the men arrested, 11 were Pakistani nationals, with 10 holding student visas. They have been transferred to the custody of the UK Borders Agency and now face possible deportation.

The twelfth man was from Britain.

They were arrested as part of an anti-terror sweep in a number of addresses in Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Yorkshire under the Terrorism Act.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to press charges or hold them any longer.

The lawyer for three of the men said that he would fight their deportation.

In a statement Mohammed Ayub said: "After 13 days in custody, during which no evidence of any wrongdoing was disclosed, they have now been released without charge.

"Our clients have no criminal history, they were here lawfully on student visas and all were pursuing their studies and working part-time. Our clients are neither extremists nor terrorists."

The arrests were made the week before Easter and were carried out earlier than planned after Britain's chief terrorism officer, Bob Quick, inadvertently publicly exposed details of the raids to Downing Street photographers while on his way to brief Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Mr Quick has since resigned from his post.

The Muslim Council of Britain has urged the government to admit a mistake was made in regard to the arrests, however, police have defended their "extremely complex" investigation.

(JM/BMcC)