FOUR Britons held at the Guantanamo Bay internment camp flew into London last night as relations between the police and the Muslim community were plunged into crisis.

Moazzam Begg, 36, Martin Mubanga, 32, Feroz Abbasi, 25 and Richard Belmar, 25, returned to Britain aboard a C17 transport aircraft that landed at RAF Northolt, West London, at 5.02pm.

They had been accompanied by Anti-Terrorist Branch detectives, an RAF medical team, a consular official and an observer from the Muslim community during the nine-hour flight from Cuba.

The aircraft landed in the growing gloom at the airfield, the lights of rush-hour traffic on the A40 perhaps the men’s first sight of British life after years overseas.

However, instead of family welcoming parties, they were greeted by more police officers and were driven away in two marked vans, escorted by four patrol cars. Two ambulances that had been on standby were not required.

The convoy took the men to Paddington Green, the high-security police station, where a small but noisy demonstration at their detention was in progress.

Scotland Yard said that the men had been arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which covers allegations of involvement in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

The decision to arrest the men led to Muslim leaders suspending all meetings on community relations with Scotland Yard after their pleas for the men to be treated as torture victims rather than terrorist suspects were rejected.

Earlier a 15-strong delegation from the Muslim Safety Forum, the main police liaison group, had walked out of a meeting with senior officers.

“These men had been held for three years. Their psychological state is fragile. They are terribly damaged,” Naeem Darr, a spokesman for the forum, said. “They should have been treated more humanely, not arrested the minute they set foot in Britain. The community really feels that this is unacceptable.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Anti-Terrorist Branch, said: “We have discussed this case with members of the Muslim community and recognise that there are strong feelings about the return of these men to the UK. But the fact is that we have an absolute duty on behalf of all communities to investigate the circumstances leading to the men’s detention.”

“Our inquiries are being carried out strictly in accordance with UK law and procedures. These have built-in safeguards and are subject to independent scrutiny.”

Senior police sources said that their arrests had been ordered after files on all four men had been studied. The evidence in those files, some of it collated by MI5 officers who interviewed the detainees in Cuba, relates to incidents overseas.

However, Sir John Stevens, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said last night that evidence gleaned during interrogations in Guantanamo Bay would be “absolutely” unacceptable in a British court.

Investigators could not proceed against the four men unless they secured confessions of guilt or found new evidence, Sir John said.

“The options are: if there is enough evidence they will be charged. If not they will be released as soon as possible.”

The United States authorities have classified all four men as “enemy combatants” in its war against the Taleban and alQaeda. Mr Abbasi, from Croydon, South London, was captured fighting American forces in Kunduz in late 2001. Mr Mubanga was accused of planning terror attacks and Mr Belmar of attending a terrorist training camp. Mr Begg had been designated by the US Government to face charges before a military tribunal.

The detainees have alleged that they suffered beatings, shackling, degrading treatment, long periods of solitary confinement and intimidation with unmuzzled dogs while in American custody.

It is unlikely that they will be charged with any offences in Britain. The Government has assured Washington, however, that their activities will be monitored.

The Pentagon said that it had released the men only after extensive talks with the British Government.

A spokesman added: “During these discussions the UK Government requested their transfer and accepted responsibility for these detainees.”

Azmat Begg, whose son was among those released, criticised the decision to arrest him. “They should not have taken him back into custody,” he said. “A person has got to be treated like a human being.”

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