Watch: Armed police in Rochdale as eight arrested in two anti-terror operations

Armed police were filmed outside a home in Rochdale on Saturday, 3 May, during what the home secretary called “one of the biggest counter-state and counter-terrorism operations in recent years.”

Five men, including four Iranian nationals, were arrested at locations across England on Saturday on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act after a suspected plot “to target a single premises” was uncovered, the Metropolitan Police said.

A further three Iranian men were arrested on Saturday as part of a separate operation, the Met added.

Police are not treating the two cases as linked. Dominic Murphy, head of counter terrorism at the Met Police, asked the public to “avoid speculation and some of the things that are being posted online”.