Dramatic scenes like in Hollywood terror movies were witnessed in Blackburn, where there is also a large segment of Indian Muslims from Gujarat apart from other parts of the subcontinent. Two men were held at gunpoint while travelling in a gold-coloured Mercedes at a busy junction. There was a lot of shouting while men were dragged out of the car. They were dressed in white paper suits and their hands and feet covered with plastic bags. In Luton, a busy highway was sealed off following raids there.

The raids in some cities were continuing on Wednesday as well and more arrests were expected. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said those arrested "are suspected of being concerned in the preparation, commission or instigation of acts of terrorism".

The officers are executing a number of searches at residential premises. It is said that the detained men were under surveillance for quite some time. The raids were not triggered by the arrests in Pakistan and seizure of the disks from the laptop of one of the arrested men.

A few Muslim groups have expressed anger. Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission said: "We are extremely concerned about the timing of this (raids), especially coming after the increased need to heighten the security alert in the US because of the elections. The timing is very worrying and it is extremely annoying, especially when it affects the lives of ordinary people and they are suffering. It is increasing Islamophobia."

The arrested men, some of whom are said to be British citizens, are being interrogated at the high security police station in London.