UK police foil ‘active terrorist plot’ with London arrests

Police have made further arrests and say they have foiled an active terrorist plot following a raid on an address in north London during which a woman was shot by officers.

The woman in her twenties was injured during a swoop at an address in Harlesden Road, north-west London, shortly before 7pm on Thursday.

Six people have now been arrested as part of an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in London and Kent said Neil Basu, senior national co-ordinator for UK Counter Terrorism Policing, on Friday.

They include a 20-year-old man arrested close to the property, a man aged 16 and a woman aged 20 arrested at the address, and a 43-year-old woman arrested in Kent shortly afterwards.

The four were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorist acts and are in custody at a south London Police station.

Two further arrests, of a man and a woman both aged 28, were made when the pair returned to the address later in the evening.

The injured woman was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service where she is under police guard. She has not been arrested due to her condition which remains serious but stable Mr Basu said. Searches at three London addresses are being conducted.

The operation was not connected to an earlier incident on Thursday where a man carrying knives was arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack near Downing Street, Scotland Yard said.

“In both cases I believe we’ve contained the threat they’ve posed”, Mr Basu said.

He praised the public for remaining calm during the raid which saw armed anti-terror police descend on a terraced street.