London terror attack arrests – a look at the Birmingham suburb Edgbaston swooped on by terror cops after Westminster carnage
COPS raided homes in an affluent suburb of Birmingham last night as they sought to piece together more information following the terror attack on Westminster yesterday which killed three people.
Police arrested eight people in six different addresses across the UK, including an Edgbaston flat said to be close to where the car which ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge was rented.
The suburb in the southwest of the city centre includes Birmingham University and a famous cricket ground, which hosts the England team.
The road which terror officers rushed into last night is a main road in the Edgbaston area of the midlands city, with a large scene cordoned off for several hours.
The Edgebaston area is popular with students and is full of large homes - it has a reputation for being one of the more affluent parts of the city.
Although the suburb boasts area of luxury it does have stark contrasts between residents and wealth there.
Cops poured into the Hagley Road area at about 11pm last night and it is thought they stormed a second-floor flat above a row of shops on the road.
University student accommodation and smaller houses with shops on the ground floors line the part of this street targeted by police last night.
As the road winds out of the city the houses become much larger as it heads towards a golf course.
The area is known for sporting facilities including a world class tennis venue, Edgbaston Priory Club, and a members-only golf club.
The two other addresses were raided in the city in the early hours of this morning, but this has been unconfirmed.
A large cordon blocked off an area in Hagley Road in the Edgbaston area in the early hours of Thursday morning after a terrorist killed three people, including a police officer, in London before being shot by armed police.
Several witnesses said armed officers from the Metropolitan Police were on the scene in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police referred inquiries about the operation to the Met, who refused to confirm that their activity in the area is connected to the atrocity in Westminster.
But a witness who works nearby claimed: "The man from London lived here."
Mark Rowley, the Met's senior anti-terror officer, confirmed the raids.
He added police believe the attacker, who has not been identified, worked alone. Mr Rowley said there was no specific information to suggest there was any further threat to the public.
Theresa May condemned the man who mowed down pedestrians in London “at 70 mph” on Westminster Bridge before storming Parliament and stabbing a police officer to death.
The heroic cop who tried to stop the attacker has been named as married father PC Keith Palmer.
Police are now probing whether the attacker, who died in hospital after being shot by police, was inspired by ISIS.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368.