Armed police have conducted raids on several properties in Birmingham in connection with the Westminster terror attack that left four people dead. Officers stormed a flat above shops on Hagley Road in Ladywood at 23:00 GMT on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed seven arrests in Birmingham and one in London. The attacker, Khalid Masood, 52, was born in Kent and believed to have been living in the West Midlands. Detectives are searching three addresses in Birmingham linked to the investigation.
Among those arrested were a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man at one address, and a 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27 and 26 at another. A 58-year-old man was also arrested on Thursday on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.
West Midlands Police stated: 'The arrests and searches were intelligence led and there was no immediate risk to public safety.' Car hire company Enterprise confirmed that a Hyundai vehicle from its Spring Hill depot in Birmingham was used in the attack.
Witnesses described being locked out of their properties during the raid. Farha Makanvand, owner of the raided flat, said he was 'appalled by this act of violence'. Another resident, Mampreet Kaur, locked herself and her baby inside as police carried out the operation.
