Three questioned over July 7 attacks

Police have been given more time to question three men in connection with the London bombings on July 7 which killed 52 people.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said warrants to detain all three men for a further week had been granted at the City of Westminster Magistrates Court.

One of the men has been named as Mohammed Shakil, a 30-year-old taxi driver from the Beeston area of Leeds.

They are being questioned by Scotland Yard counter-terror detectives at London's high-security Paddington Green police station on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

They are the first significant arrests in the investigation and a massive breakthrough for police.

Two had gone through passport control at Manchester Airport and were preparing to board a flight to Pakistan when they were held around 1pm. The third was arrested at his home in Leeds three hours later.

A series of raids were also carried out on houses in the Beeston area of Leeds, where three of the July 7 bombers had strong connections.

Police had always said the bombers' support network is still at large and have been investigating how the four, who exploded rucksack devices on three Tube trains and a bus, were supported and financed.

One of the houses raided on Thursday is in Colwyn Road, the same road where the Aldgate bomber, Shehzad Tanweer, lived. Other raids were carried out in Cardinal Road, Firth Mount, Tempest Road, and Rowland Place.

There were also searches at a flat in Bromley-by-Bow in London, and at a separate business premises in Whitechapel.

After the attacks, some reports claimed ringleader, Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, and his right-hand man, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, were "likely" to have been in contact with al-Qaeda figures while in Pakistan and received some training.

Both Khan and Tanweer had come to the attention of security services before July 7 and that Khan had crossed their radar on numerous occasions. The other bombers were Hasib Hussain, 18, and Jermaine Lindsay, 19.

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