ANTI-TERRORISM officers investigating suspicious activity in Syria swooped on a property in East Lancashire.

The search by Scotland Yard's Counter Terrorism Command came as four people were arrested in Dover and Kent on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism.

The organisation said it was unable to confirm in which East Lancashire town the searches were carried out.

No arrests had been made last night.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "The searches are ongoing and we are unable to provide more details at this stage."

Those arrested in the earlier swoops included two British-Asian men, who were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Monday and had arrived at the port of Dover from Calais.

The men, understood to be of Pakistani heritage, remained in custody at a London police station as inquiries continued.

A further two people, who were being held yesterday, have also been taken to a police station in the capital, and a search warrant was executed at the Essex property where they were detained.

British citizens travelling abroad in connection with extremist activities has been a focus for the Security Service for some time, with Syria proving popular with would-be Jihadists.

The former head of MI5 last year warned Britons were increasingly heading to the Middle East for terrorist training in preparation for attacks in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Jonathan Evans, director-general of the Security Service, warned in June that parts of the Arab world were becoming a more permissive environment for al Qaida and Britons were travelling there to ‘seek training and opportunities’.