Six held in mosque speeches inquiry

The six, including radical Muslim Abu Izzadeen, were held early on Tuesday over statements apparently made at Regent's Park Mosque in London in November 2004.

Scotland Yard said they were detained in an investigation into incitement of others to commit acts of terrorism overseas and terrorist fundraising.

The men, aged between 21 and 35, were held at addresses in east London, Southall and Luton at around 5am.

On Tuesday night the mosque's estate manager and head of security, Ali Khan, said: "We don't like it if people come here and disturb the peace of the place. We want it to be peaceful for people to come and worship, we provide all the facilities for that.

"Ten thousand people come here every week, throughout the year half a million people, and if a few people create a disturbance, it puts us in an embarrassing situation.

"Abu Izzadeen has frequently visited and worshipped here, but if he excites the crowd, we don't like that."

The six men were being held at a central London police station on Tuesday night.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The arrests form part of a long-term proactive and complex investigation into alleged incitement and radicalisation for the purposes of terrorism, as well as alleged provision of financial support for international terrorism."

Izzadeen, a former electrician who lives in Leytonstone, east London, with his wife and three children, is perhaps best known for his barracking of Home Secretary John Reid last September.