London’s Scotland Yard has announced the arrest of a 30-year-old soldier in Somerset in relation to Northern Ireland linked terrorism.
The unidentified man was arrested this afternoon at 1220 by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command and the Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police. A statement from Scotland Yard stated officers are also searching a location in Devon.
Scotland Yard said the search in South Devon were occurring “at an address” in the county, and further searches are being conducted in a wooded area.
The man has been arrested “on suspicion of being involved in the preparation for acts of terrorism under section 5 of the Terrorism Act”.
The force moved to calm concern, stating in their release: “The public can be reassured that there is no intelligence to suggest an immediate threat to our communities”, but restated the fact that the government presently considers the threat from Northern-Irish terrorism to the mainland United Kingdom remains at “substantial”.