Detectives have bailed one of five people arrested last week on suspicion of plotting terrorist acts linked to the atrocities in Paris and Brussels.
The 59-year-old man was released “with strict conditions” after being questioned by counter-terror officers.
He and three others – two men aged 26 and 40 and a 29-year-old woman – were arrested in Birmingham on Thursday night before a fourth man, 26, was held at Gatwick airport in the early hours of Friday.
Detectives have been granted a further seven days to question the other four suspects, West Midlands police said.
Assistant chief constable Marcus Beale, the chief counter-terrorism officer for the West Midlands, said: “This action forms part of an extensive investigation by West Midlands counter-terrorism unit, together with the wider counter-terrorism network, MI5 and international partners including Belgian and French authorities to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe.
“The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no risk to the public at any time and there is no information to suggest an attack in the UK was being planned.”
All five were detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts and British police said the arrests followed an investigation involving Belgian and French authorities.
One of the raids in Birmingham was at a house in the Small Heath area. A 40-year-old man was arrested at the house at about 8pm on Thursday.
Neighbours described their shock and said the family who lived in the house had always been “pleasant”.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “It was very shocking – they turned up and took him away. He was a nice, normal family guy. Never seemed to be in any trouble and his family are really nice.”
Separately, an 18-year-old man was released on bail after being arrested on Saturday at Manchester airport for Syria-related terror offences.
