Sellafield five freed without charge

The men, all in their 20s and from London, were held on Monday afternoon after a police stop check on their vehicle outside the high security nuclear facility in west Cumbria.

It is thought they were taking photos or filming in the area, sparking suspicions from the police.

They were held in custody for two nights and questioned by counter-terrorism detectives.

Police officers also raided four addresses in east London as part of the investigation.

But yesterday a spokesman for the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, part of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said all five were free to go.

The spokesman said: “Five men arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act have today, Wednesday, May 4, 2011, been released without charge.

“At about 4.30pm on Monday May 2, 2011, police officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) conducted a stop check on a vehicle close to the Sellafield site in West Cumbria.

“As a result, police officers from Cumbria Constabulary made five arrests.

“The investigation was led by the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, supported by the CNC and Cumbria Constabulary.

“Officers have conducted a thorough investigation and a decision has been made to release the five men without charge.”

The arrests were made hours after it was revealed that Osama bin Laden had been assassinated in a raid by US special forces in Pakistan.

The Western world has been on high alert over possible revenge attacks from al-Qaida in the wake of bin Laden’s death.

The suspects were initially questioned by officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, which polices the vast Sellafield plant where highly dangerous nuclear material is handled.