Man shot in anti-terrorism raid

Police said "very specific" intelligence meant that an intensive investigation and response had to be launched immediately. About 250 officers were involved in the raid in east London yesterday morning, some dressed in protective clothing.

Senior officers said they did not expect to find a large chemical stockpile but were taking no chances. They refused to go into details about the nature of the threat, though it is understood that they were investigating allegations that an international terrorist group was planning a chemical attack on the UK.

The raid is reported to have come after months of surveillance, with intelligence sources describing it as the most significant this year.

A 23-year-old man was shot in the shoulder by police as they entered the property. He was taken to hospital and later arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorism. His 20-year-old brother was also arrested.

The decision to launch the raid on the terraced house in Forest Gate followed discussions between the Security Service, the Anti-Terrorist Branch and bio-chemical experts from the Health Protection Agency. Home Secretary John Reid was kept informed during the operation and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was also briefed on the raid.

The Civil Aviation Authority announced an air exclusion zone would be in place over east London for four days.

Neighbours and friends of those living in the house described them as a Muslim husband and wife and their five children. The area is home to a mix of nationalities, including Bengalis, Pakistanis, eastern Europeans and Britons.

A friend of the man who was shot said he had been working as a postman for the Royal Mail for around two years, and had previously worked at Tesco and as a pizza delivery man.

He said the occupants of the house were a "civilised" family who often welcomed visitors. Of the man who was shot, he said: "He went to the gym. He also worked out at home. He's more homely rather than going out.

"Ever since I've known him he's been religious. He's been religious from a very young age. He is being portrayed as a westernised person - that is not true. He was very close to his brother. They lived together. He got him the job in Tesco because he worked there first."

Neighbour Dimple Hirani, 21, said she believed some of the boys had become more radical after the 9/11 attacks in the United States, although she did not attach much significance to that. "I never thought anything of it. Lots of young Muslims these days are getting more religious, especially after 9/11. It's nothing to be suspicious about," she said.

Police searching the house yesterday wore protective suits and rubber protective boots over their shoes, but residents were not evacuated. The search is expected to last several days.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Anti-Terrorist Branch at the Metropolitan Police, said the raid had to be mounted quickly to counter a perceived threat.

"This operation was planned in response to specific intelligence," he said. "As always, our overriding concern is for the safety of the public.

"Because of the very specific nature of the intelligence, we planned an operation that was designed to mitigate any threat to the public either from firearms or from hazardous substances.

"Some officers were armed, and others equipped with protective clothing."

Last night a group of around 20 Asian men gathered outside the hospital gate to protest at what they claimed was heavy handed treatment by the police. One said: "Going into someone's house and shooting them in front of their mum: that's not right, is it?"