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Eight people arrested following anti-terror raids

Homes in London and Birmingham searched by police

Witnesses reported being 'shocked' by huge police operation

Raids came just hours after four died and 40 were injured in London terror attack Anti-terror officers carrying automatic weapons spearheaded the hunt for known associates of the 'lone wolf' Islamic terrorist who brought terror to the streets of London. Night-time raids were carried out at six homes in London and Birmingham. Three people were arrested at a flat above a Persian restaurant in Hagley Road, Birmingham while a second raid was carried out on a flat across the city in Winson Green. Raids also took place in Brighton and Wales.

Photographs from the scene show a large backpack in the hallway. Police were examining a garden today at the second of the three properties raided in Birmingham Last night about eight police cars swept into the quiet residential street and forced their way into the three storeyed town house at 10pm. They then remained through the night searching the property in the Winson Green area of the city. This afternoon five officers returned to the home to begin a fingertip search of the small backdoor garden Neighbours of the £159,000 house – three miles from the Hagley Road address –were stunned by the raid at 10pm.

ARMED police stormed Birmingham addresses Thu, March 23, 2017 Armed police have swarmed a road in Birmingham after unconfirmed reports claim the car used in the deadly Westminster attack was hired from an address on the road Play slideshow Tristan Potter / SWNS.com 1 of 35 Police are carrying out a forensic search in a property at the Quayside, in the Winson Green area of Birmingham which is in connection with Westminster terror attacks

They hadn’t seen anyone living in the house, which is registered to a Nigerian couple, for sometime Michael Scott said: I saw an armed vehicle at 4am I wondered what it was doing here so early although it was quiet at the time. “I witnessed the police terror raid on Hagley road and though It might have some thing to do with it. I've lived here for 11 years and I'm shocked at the circumstances the area isn't your typical terrorist hideout if ever there was such a thing. Resident in Quayside, Martin Lane, 36 said: I literally came back from playing tennis. Got back around 10:30 or 10:40 as I came to park up on my drive I noticed people looking at me in a BMW which I thought was a bit strange.”

CATERS Police have rushed to Hagley road in Birmingham

GETTY Police are on the scene in Birmingham

Cynthia Daska, 38, “I was absolutely clueless about the raid last night. I knew something was up when all these unmarked police cars and official police cars flooded in past my house. “I did warn everybody today not to go out and about and to stay safe. “Whoever they were I wouldn’t know them or recognise them I’m sure of it. “It’s worrying that the majority of radicalised Muslims are coming from Birmingham but I guess they have to come from somewhere.”

An eyewitness said: "There was people working in the curry house downstairs and the owner is also the owner of the property that was raided. "No one knows any of the people who were in the flat but they were taken out by police one at a time over a three hour period. "The neighbours don't seem to know anyone involved and it's thought the flat is used by students". Landlord Farhad Makanvand denied knowing who had been staying at the £1,500-a-month flats above his curry house as it was rented out by a separate letting agents. Farhad, 59, owner of Shiraz, said: "I wasn't at the scene last night, I don't live there. "I bought the property six years ago for over £300,000. "It is contracted to the letting agents so I have no idea who lives there or how many people."

CATERS Heavily armed police undertook a raid on this address

It has been confirmed the Hyundai used in the attack was rented from Enterprise in the Midlands city on March 16. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has confirmed the attack which took place in London yesterday is linked to Islamic terrorism. He said: “Parliament cannot be hermetically sealed” but there will be a review of security at the Palace of Westminster.

The Hyundai 4x4 used in the attack was hired from a branch of Enterprise on Stratford Road, Shirley. Statement from Enterprise car hire said: “We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours. “An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the licence plate in an image online.

SWNS A backpack with plastic bags on the floor at the raided address

"We ran another check to verify, and immediately contacted the authorities. “We are co-operating fully with the authorities and will provide any assistance that we can to the investigation. “Our thoughts are very much with the victims of this terrible tragedy.”

GETTY The car was hired from this rental facility on March 16 it has been claimed

Neighbour Stuart Bailey, 25, said: "I'd gone out about 10pm but I couldn't get back in my flat when I came back at midnight. "As soon as I opened the door I saw all the armed police and they told me to go the other way. "I just panicked but was so weird I didn't hear anything at all, not even any sirens.

PA Police have launched raids in Birmingham

"I had no idea what was going on, we went out here told to go the other way and had to loop all the way around. "There was a SWAT van as well as riot police. Zoopla describes the flat as: "6 bedroom student accommodation available for sharing over former public house and situated on Hagely road Good location for bus transport to City centre."

CATERS The back of the building where the police raids took place

Witnesses told how more than thirty officers, including members of the anti-terror squad, stormed into the address before 11pm. A stretch of about quarter a mile of the four lane Hagley Road was then cordoned off by two police cars until just before 1am in the stealth operation. Police and plain-clothed detectives were still at the scene this morning leaving the scene with evidence bags.

A worker at Sicilian Pizza - two doors from the raided flats - said there was 'no warning' before police cars and vans swarmed all over the scene. He said: "Police just came from nowhere and before I knew it they were everywhere. "They just went straight in. They were so quick and they were so quiet. "We had no idea what was going on but they came out with three people."

CATERS Inside the £1500 a month flat where three arrests were made

"I asked the police what was happening and they said it could take a while." Earlier this month a report revealed Birmingham is one of the terror capitals of the world. The 1,000 page study by the Henry Jackson society concluded Birmingham wards of Springfield, Sparkhill, Hall Green and Hodge Hill in particular have been home to a high proportion of convicted terrorists. Between 1998 and 2015, 49 of the 269 people convicted of Islamist terrorism offences or killed as suicide bombers were from the West Midlands. It added a total of 39 came from Birmingham, concentrated in the Hall Green and Hodge Hill constituencies.

GETTY Many armed police surround the building during last night's raid

A local resident added: "There were around 30 police officers including several armed police. "I saw semi-automatic weapons and they all had ballistic style helmets on. "They looked really serious they had masks over their faces and everything. "There were unmarked police cars as well."

SWNS Police are currently searching gardens in Birmingham

CATERS The block of flats were raided last night

West Midlands Police said: “There is an ongoing police operation, no further details are being given at this stage.” The Metropoltian Police has told Express.co.uk they will not comment on operational matters. West Midlands police have advised locals to avoid the area, in the south west of the city.

CATERS A massive police operation is underway as seven people have been arrested

There is an ongoing police operation West Midlands Police

Assistant police commissioner Mark Rowley said:"Greater clarity is now developing regarding the casualty figures. “The latest figures I now have there are currently only four dead and 29 people were treated in hospital. “We are still collecting numbers of walking wounded. “Sadly seven of those in hospital are still in a critical condition. "Tragically the deaths included PC Keith Palmer who was protecting parliament. Two members of the public. "A woman aged in her mid 40s and a man aged in his mid 50s."

CATERS The back entrance to the flat that was raided

The Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed a number of tourists were injured yesterday in the attacks. They include three French people, one German, one Polish person, one Irish person, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one Chinese nationalities, one Italian, two Greeks and one American. PC Keith Palmer and a man in his 50s were also killed in the attack along with the terrorist who died after being shot by armed police. Ms Frade, a 43-year-old mother-of-two, taught Spanish at DLD College, a private sixth form college based near the scene of the attack on Westminster Bridge. It is thought she was on her way to collect her children aged eight and 11 from school when she was mowed down by the terrorist’s 4X4 Hyundai hire car.

Google The car hire company is believed to be miles away from the flat that was raided

The Prime Minister, speaking just yards from where PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death inside the Commons, told MPs: "Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy "But today we meet as normal to deliver a simple message. "We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver." It has been claimed the attacker is known to police and MI5 agents and that he acted alone during the incident.

There are conflicting reports that the car used in the London attack was registered back in September in Chelmsford. Many casualties were reported following the deadly rampage which happened shortly after 2.30pm on Wednesday. The car ploughed through a crowd of people on Westminster Bridge before driving crashing into black railings outside the Houses of Parliament.

SWNS Police cordoned off a road in Birmingham

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, told Sky News: “All the policemen and women outside Parliament are known to us, they are the frontline of keeping our parliament safe. “PC Palmer did keep Parliament safe by making the ultimate sacrifice - the attacker didn’t get into Parliament, into the chamber, to the Prime Minister.

TWITTER/ BIRMINGHAM UPDATES Scotland Yard has refused to comment on the operation

“Some police are armed and some unarmed at Parliament, but obviously the security arrangements will be reviewed. “Parliament can’t be hermetically sealed, we have visitors and people coming in through the gates to come and vote. It’s not possible to seal it off to the public and it’s not desirable. “There are armed police in front of the House of Parliament. Not all are armed and that’s something that will be looked at.

SWNS 40 people were injured in the attack in London

“We ought to pay tribute to the memory of PC Palmer and the other officers who went forward to detain the assailant. “I’m satisfied by the response, it was very quick, additional police backup was there very quickly.

SWNS Hagley Road reopened at 2am on Thursday

GETTY Victims of the attack were helped form the scene by police officers

“All procedures flowed very quickly because they do train for this a lot of the time for an incident like this. “Since the attacks in Paris, Marseille, Berlin, we have stepped up the number of armed police available in all of our cities. We’ve doubled the number of fire arms officers.

TWITTER/ BIRMINGHAM UPDATES Armed forces stormed the Hagley Road at around 11pm on Wednesday

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick has praised the bravery of officers involved in the Westminster attack. In a message to staff Ms Dick, who takes up the job next month, described Wednesday as a "tragic day for London and the Met". Ms Dick, who visited New Scotland Yard last night, said: "One of our officers died protecting the public and Parliament. We will never forget his courage.

Westminster terror attack in pictures Thu, March 22, 2018 These devastating photographs capture the carnage and terror in the Westminster terror attack in London one year ago today. Play slideshow PA 1 of 43 Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre) helps emergency services attend to a police officer outside the Palace of Westminster, London