Last two terror suspects in Brown’s ‘big plot’ are freed

The two men were freed this morning, hours after the release of nine Pakistani students who were also arrested in the high-profile police operation across Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire. A twelfth alleged suspect had already been released.

Police said they had been advised by the Crown Prosecution Service that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges, but "extremely complex" investigations were continuing and insisted that the arrests had been "wholly justified".

Today's decision is certain to place pressure on the Prime Minister. It also prompted a call from the Muslim Council of Britain for an apology from the Government.

The freeing of the men follows the blunder by Scotland Yard's then anti-terror chief Bob Quick, who was photographed carrying a file showing the details of the planned operation, forcing the arrests to be rushed forward. He resigned the next day after admitting that his mistake had jeopardised a major police operation and potentially left colleagues and the public at risk.

Ministers are now also facing a difficult deportation battle after the Home Office said it would seek to deport 11 of those detained.

The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Peter Fahy, said "ongoing issues of matters of national security" limited what he could say about the investigation, but that police had been right to intervene.

He said: "This has been an extremely complex investigation. We had a duty to act to protect the public. When it comes to the safety of the public we can't take any chances — we must act on information we receive. We don't take these decisions lightly."

Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, claimed that the Government had been "dishonourable" in its treatment of the men and urged ministers to apologise.

Mohammed Ayub, a lawyer for three of the men, said their deportation would add "insult to injury" and vowed to fight to allow them to remain in the country.

Describing the trio's arrest as a "very serious breach of their human rights" he added: "Our clients have no criminal history, they were here lawfully on student visas and all were pursuing their studies and working part-time.

"Our clients are neither extremists nor terrorists. As a minimum our clients are entitled to an unreserved apology and no further action should be taken against them."

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government's highest priority is to protect public safety. Where a foreign national poses a threat to this country we will seek to exclude or to deport."

A former Scotland Yard anti-terror chief, ex-assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, said today detectives had to balance the risk of acting too early, when there might be insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution, against the danger of waiting too long.

He said: "The huge responsibility is judging when to intervene and when to allow events to unfold so incriminating evidence can be collected. If you wait too long, there is the danger that public safety is threatened."

Mr Quick was not available for comment.