Police arrest nursery worker and smash alleged Europe-wide terrorist network

Tunisian Ali Ben Zidane Chehidi, 34, was taken from the South London home where he lived with his wife, a nursery nurse, and their eight-month-old son.

He was one of 17 Algerians and Tunisians detained across Europe in an anti-terrorism operation led by Italian authorities.

Police in Italy said they had seized poisons, remote detonation devices for explosives and manuals on guerilla warfare.

Chehidi and another Tunisian, Mohamed Salah Ben Hamadi Khemiri, 53, a married father of three from Manchester, were the only British arrests.

Italian officers believe the detainees have been setting up 'jihadi' militant cells which recruited and assisted would-be suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chehidi and Khemiri were arrested over allegations that they forged documents to help recruits enter Italy illegally.

A source said Khemiri could also be questioned about bringing North African recruits into the UK.

In February 2005, an Algerian who had been living in Manchester blew himself up in Iraq.

Chehidi's wife Simona Amjri insisted her husband was innocent.

She said: "They're targeting him because he's a Muslim. There's no way he's involved in anything wrong and I would be the first to know."

The couple live above the nursery in Croydon, South London, where they both work, Chehidi as a cleaner and his wife as a carer.

Khemiri was arrested at his home in Cheetham Hill. Neighbours said he did not work and described the family as 'quite religious', with his wife wearing a burkha.

One said: "He's a friendly guy but he did have some problems around six months ago when his car was torched on his driveway.

"After that the police would visit him every week. We thought maybe cameras had been set up to protect his family. But now, who knows?"

Another neighbour said: "He's a nice man and people around here like him. We're stunned he has been arrested."