Police arrest five over race hate material posted online

The men were held yesterday after raids by the North-East Counter Terrorism Unit in Yorkshire, North Tyneside, County Durham, Merseyside, and London.

Properties in Leeds and Knaresborough were also searched by specialist officers alongside North Yorkshire Police.

The arrests, which included a 21-year-old from Barnsley, a 43-year-old from North Tyneside, a 46-year-old from County Durham, an 18-year-old from Birkenhead, Merseyside, and a 56-year-old from Holloway, north London, were last night being linked with a splinter group of the English Defence League known as the North West Infidels.

On a North West Infidels Facebook page, a message posted at lunchtime said: “Heads up if you have posted any thing you might get in trouble for delete it now... while you still can... and don’t post anything considered racist folks you are responsible for your own actions.” Elsewhere on the page, there was a lengthy message explaining “Who are the Infidels of Britain?”.

It said the group was an alliance of “right wing nationalists, patriotic and loyalist groups from different parts of the UK”.

A spokeswoman for the North-East Counter Terrorism Unit refused to confirm any link bet- ween the men and the extremist group.

“All five men have been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Public Order Act, publishing or distributing written material which may stir up racial hatred,” she said.

“Searches have now begun at the addresses, together with searches at an address in Knaresborough and Leeds.”