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Anti-terror searches continuing Anti-terror searches continuing
(40 minutes later)
Police are continuing to search 10 properties across the north-west of England in connection with an alleged planned terror attack. Police are continuing to search 10 properties across the north-west of England in connection with an alleged planned terror bomb attack.
Twelve men - 11 of them Pakistani and most of them students - are still being questioned over the alleged plot. They have found pictures of popular Manchester shopping centres and a nightclub, the BBC has learned.
Photographs found at one location are being examined, the BBC has learned. Twelve men - 11 of them Pakistani, and most of them students - are still being questioned over the alleged plot.
Downing Street said Gordon Brown has spoken to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who are both "committed to work together" to combat terrorism. Gordon Brown and Pakistan's president are "committed to working together" to combat terror, says Downing Street.
Police arrested the 12 suspects during a series of raids in Manchester, Liverpool and Clitheroe in Lancashire. Although the police previously insisted there was no intelligence pointing to any specific targets, sources have told the BBC photographs of four popular Manchester locations were recovered during searches.
The planned operation had to be brought forward to Wednesday following a security blunder by Britain's anti-terror chief. Last year over 10,000 students were admitted from Pakistan with what are clearly inadequate checks Sir Andrew GreenMigrationwatch UK chairman class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7991936.stm"> Where terror raids took place
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick had been photographed carrying documents with details of the alleged plot clearly visible. He resigned on Thursday.
Since the raids, forensic officers have been gathering evidence at 14 properties in north-west England and taking away vehicles for examination.
Senior officers have insisted there was no intelligence pointing to any specific targets.
But the BBC's Nick Ravenscroft said sources had confirmed that photographs of four popular Manchester locations were recovered during searches.
These were the Arndale and Trafford Centre shopping complexes, Birdcage nightclub and St Ann's Square.These were the Arndale and Trafford Centre shopping complexes, Birdcage nightclub and St Ann's Square.
On Thursday, security staff at the Trafford Centre and officials at Manchester Arndale said they had not been informed of any threat.
An Arndale spokesman said: "Both Manchester Arndale and the The Birdcage will be operating as normal over the Easter weekend."
Police are not thought to have recovered any explosive devices during their searches, and BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said his understanding was that the alleged plot had been at the "aspirational, not operational" stage.
As the searches continued in Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire, the political focus moved to Britain's border security, amid revelations that most of the arrested men were Pakistani nationals who entered the UK on student visas.
'Serious threat'
The prime minister has already called on Pakistan to do more to weed out potential extremists who might target the UK.
Downing Street appeared keen to emphasise the fact that talks between the UK and Pakistan were continuing at the highest level.
A spokesman confirmed Mr Brown and President Asif Ali Zardari had spoken on the telephone on Wednesday evening.
"They agreed that the UK and Pakistan share a serious threat from terrorism and violent extremism, and committed to work together to address this common challenge," said the spokesman.
Officers are carrying out intensive searches of all the properties raided
Meanwhile critics accused the government of not doing enough to find potential extremists who might have hidden among the estimated 42,000 Pakistanis who entered the UK on student visas between April 2004 and April 2008.
Immigration minister Phil Woolas insisted that changes brought in last year meant that anyone now applying for a student visa from countries like Pakistan must now undergo strict vetting procedures.
These include photograph and fingerprint checks as well as the requirement to supply identification and other documents.
"We also use intelligence from our own services and from overseas countries in a targeted way," Mr Woolas said.
Vetting system
The minister also rejected criticism from Pakistan's High Commissioner, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, who said Pakistani authorities were being stopped from helping to carry out background checks.
"It's naive to think that we don't check, we do work very closely with the Pakistan authorities, indeed we've been criticised for doing so," Mr Woolas told the BBC.
So far it is unclear whether the arrested suspects on student visas had entered the UK before or after the new visa vetting system had been introduced.
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said background checks on students coming to Britain from countries linked to terror needed to be improved.
And Migrationwatch UK chairman Sir Andrew Green said student visas continued to be a "gaping hole" in Britain's borders.
"Applicants from countries of concern like Pakistan and North Africa should be given a full interview by a UK-based visa officer and only admitted if they can demonstrate that they are genuine," he said.
"Last year over 10,000 students were admitted from Pakistan with what are clearly inadequate checks."