A woman and a teenage girl have been arrested for allegedly trying to travel to Syria to join a proscribed organisation.



They were arrested in central London at about 9pm on Sunday on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

Scotland Yard said: “Officers from the Met police counter-terrorism command arrested a 20-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, namely travelling to Syria to join a proscribed organisation.”

Both were taken into custody at a central London police station.

Official figures for 2015/16 showed that a record number of women and girls were arrested in Britain as part of counter-terrorism investigations. A total of 36 were held in the 12 months to the end of March.

Rising numbers of young people are being detained, with under-18s the only age group to see a rise in the number of arrests year on year, from eight to 14.