Part of the M6 motorway was closed this morning after police stopped a coach following warnings of a potential terror related incident on board.
Police shut a large stretch of the M6 Toll Road near Lichfield in Staffordshire in what they described as a “major police led incident”.
It is understood police received a call from a passenger on board the coach who was concerned about the activities of another passenger.
One source claimed the passenger had become worried after spotting a smoking liquid on board the bus.
Staffordshire police were called at 8.20am and closed the motorway in both directions between junctions T3 and T4.
It is understood the south bound coach, which belonged to the Megabus company, had already pulled over to the hard shoulder when police arrived at the scene.
A spokeswoman for Megabus, which is operated by Stagecoach, said: "We are assisting police with their inquiries into an allegation made against a passenger who was travelling on board one of our services."
The coach was travelling from Preston to London.
The incident, which occurred at the height of rush hour, brought chaos to the road network in the area.
It is believed armed police were at the scene but Scotland Yard were not thought to be involved.
A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police said: “There is currently an ongoing incident on the M6 Toll at Weeford, near Lichfield.
“Both lanes of the toll road have been closed while police deal with the incident.”
The incident came as six people were held in London over a possible terror plot involving Islamist extremists targeting the UK.
The two operations were understood to be unconnected however and police sources claimed the terror plot was not connected to the upcoming Olympic Games.
Police in London swooped in a series of dawn raids at addresses in the capital detaining five men and a woman on suspicion of the commission, perparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
During the raids a 24-year-old man was Tasered but did not require hospital treatment, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said.
Those detained included a 29-year-old man, who was arrested in the street in west London, a 21-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were held at separate residential premises in west London, and two other men, aged 18 and 26, who were arrested with the 24-year-old in east London.
Some of those held are understood to be British nationals.
The spokeman said: "Searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 are being carried out at eight residential premises in east, west and north London and one business premises in east London. Public safety remains our overriding concern."
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