A man has been arrested after ‘dirty bomb’ chemical explosives and radioactive material were seized from a garden shed.
The unnamed 31-year-old man was arrested at a semi-detached home he shares with his parents in Caddington, Bedfordshire, on May 6.
He is described as a ‘loner’ who would put his hood up whenever he left the house and allegedly kept Nazi memorabilia.
His mum insisted that while he enjoyed collecting chemicals she was ‘adamant it was nothing to do with terrorism’.
The man was initially arrested on suspicion of causing explosions and possessing Class A drugs before the operation was passed on to the Metropolitan Police who arrested him the next day on suspicion of possessing articles for terrorist purposes.
He remains in police custody.
A ‘small, controlled explosion’ was carried out in a nearby field once the home had been searched.
Investigators confirmed there was no evidence the man was planning a bomb attack but computer devices were seized.
People in hazmat suits were seen coming in and out of the home with Geiger counters used to measure radioactivity, according to The Sun.
Prior to the man being arrested again by the Met Police, a ‘considerable number of different items’ were found.
Bedfordshire Police said: ‘We can confirm we are working with SO15, the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which has taken over the investigation.’
The Met believes there is no further threat to the public.
In a statement the force said: ‘A man from Bedfordshire has been arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offence as part of an investigation being led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
‘The arrest comes after an investigation was initially launched by Bedfordshire Police on 6 May when items, including a number of suspicious substances, were found at a residential address in Caddington.
‘Specialist officers continue to carry out searches at the address in Caddington. A number of items and substances have been recovered from the address.
‘Officers continue to work closely with colleagues from Bedfordshire Police and the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) as the investigation continues.’
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