The Met Arrest Two More Teenagers on Suspicion of Terrorism

Two more teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism as a result of an ongoing investigation being led by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.An 18-year-old man from Essex and a 17-year-old girl from East London were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. The man was arrested at an address in Essex on Wednesday and remains in custody.The 18-year-old is undergoing questioning by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of encouraging terrorism. Police have been granted permission to detain the suspect until Wednesday.

The 17-year-old girl was arrested in east London on Friday under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and has been taken to a London police station. The police are questioning both suspects as part of the same investigation into extreme Islamist ideology.Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "We have seen three teenagers arrested this week by Met officers for terrorism offences, albeit as part of separate investigations.

We need to let this investigation run its course, but it is a further indication of a concerning upward trend in police action against younger people for terrorism-related matters."Smith added: "Across the country, police are working hard to try and prevent young people from being radicalised, and acting quickly when it is suspected that offences have been committed."Smith appealed to the general public to report any behaviour they find suspicious to the police. He said that people should "trust your instincts and contact police".This follows the news of a 13-year-old boy being arrestedby Metropolitan police on suspicion of sharing terrorist material. The teenager was held in west London by officers from the Metropolitan police's counter-terrorism command (CTC) and his house was searched, before he was released on bail until mid-June.