Manchester Jewish community terror plot disrupted, say police

Police say Manchester Jewish community should 'remain vigilant'

The pair were detained on Newton Street in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester at 14:45 BST on Sunday.

It occurred on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when thousands of British Jews were in synagogues already guarded by a heavy security and police presence.

They were arrested on suspicion of offences under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, in an investigation led by the Metropolitan Police.

Sources have told the BBC the suspected plot was "fairly imminent" and had been planned for some time.

Detectives have obtained warrants of further detention for both men, meaning they can remain in police custody while questioning continues, the BBC reported.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said police were aware the news would cause "further concern" to the Jewish community "especially given the significant High Holy day period".

"This has been a long-running proactive investigation which has led to the disruption of what we believe to be a plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area," she said.

"Counter-terrorism policing (CTP) continue to focus our efforts on identifying and disrupting those who wish to cause harm in our communities.

"Importantly, we do not believe there to be any ongoing threat to the public in relation to this matter, but as ever, we would ask that people remain vigilant and contact police with any concerns."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would "continue to do all in our power to address threats against our Jewish community".

"We cannot expect our Jewish community to live behind higher walls," she added.

"We must also tackle antisemitism at its source and root it out wherever it rears its head."

It comes weeks after Burnham's warning that 'terror still knocks at door', as concern over community safety continues to weigh on Downing Street.