Bomb Suspect 'May Be Part of Terror Group'

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From 'Telegraph': Detectives are investigating whether a teenage terror suspect held in connection with possessing suspected explosives might be part of a wider group operating in the West Country. An Army bomb disposal team carried out controlled explosions at the Bristol home of Andrew Ibrahim. The suspect packages were taken from the property to a nearby alley for detonation, as the 19-year-old continued to be questioned by anti-terrorism officers.

Officers from Scotland Yard's Counter Terror Command have travelled to Bristol to help local police with the investigation. Security sources are investigating whether the suspect acted alone or was part of a wider group. A source said: "The arrest was not part of some long-running investigation. What we are trying to establish at the moment is whether this individual was working alone or was part of a team." Avon and Somerset Police, which have not ruled out further arrests, said that the teenager had previously come into contact with its officers, but would not give details.

Sources who once worked with Mr Ibrahim confirmed that a picture on the social networking website MySpace was of the man arrested. In the picture he sports dyed red hair and facial piercings. His appearance, however, has changed dramatically since the picture on that page was taken, said the source who identified it. On the site, Mr Ibrahim said one of his favourite films was American History X, a violent drama about white supremacists in the US, and his favourite television programmes were The Jeremy Kyle Show, Trisha and South Park. The teenager said he would like to have children "someday".

Mr Ibrahim, who was arrested on Thursday after an intelligence tip-off, was described by neighbours as heavily built and often seen wearing traditional Muslim dress and carrying a satchel. Others said they had confronted him about "loud chanting" just a few days ago. Neighbours said Mr Ibrahim had recently turned his upstairs flat into a fortress, fitting as many as a dozen locks on the front door.

Rachael Clifford, 32, said: "We would never see him in the day, but from about 10pm we would hear loud Islamic-style wailing, chanting music. I went round to complain about it last week and when he came downstairs I heard about 10 or 12 bolts being unlocked on the door. "I thought it was very odd because he had so many locks on the door. When he opened the door he had a big white robe and I felt unnerved. He had a white cloak down to the floor and a thin beard."

Sources who claimed to have worked with Mr Ibrahim said he had endured a "difficult few years" and was "unsettled". One, who said he believed Mr Ibrahim had recently enrolled on a course at the University of the West of England, said: "He was struggling in life but I had no idea he had become a Muslim before I saw him two weeks ago. I could not believe my eyes. He was dressed in full robes and had a beard. He must have undergone a massive change in identity."

Mr Ibrahim's MySpace page, last updated before he apparently began to take an interest in Islam, gave the impression of a normal teenager. On it he described himself as a fan of "hardcore, techno, trance and nu metal" music and lists his interests as "singing in a band, hanging out, lots of stuff ..." Mr Ibrahim described himself as a non-smoking, teetotal Muslim.

Representatives of Bristol's Muslim community have spoken in support of the police operation. Farooq Siddique, of the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society, said Mr Ibrahim was "not known" at any of Bristol's mosques. He said: "This is obviously a very difficult time for the Muslim community in Bristol. It is a blow to community relationships in the city. "We want the police to be allowed to do their jobs as simply and as quickly as possible. We need to be united in this."

Assistant Chief Constable Jackie Roberts confirmed that Mr Ibrahim was not arrested at the house but somewhere else in the city. She confirmed that he lived on his own, but added: "At this stage I cannot rule out that there won't be further arrests. "Obviously we are in the early stages of this investigation. Extensive inquiries are ongoing and obviously things will unfold as the days go by."

Mr Ibrahim had been living in a homeless hostel before he was given the council house. A source said: "He originally turned down the property, telling council officials that he didn't want to live in a white middle-class area. But he changed his mind and moved in on February 4."