A 16-year-old male was arrested today under anti-terror laws by West Yorkshire police who were already questioning a 21-year-old man detained at Manchester airport last night.

The teenager was held this afternoon in Dewsbury and officers then began searching two addresses in West Yorkshire.

The 21-year-old Bradford man, of Pakistani origin, was detained at the airport under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the BBC reported that he could be connected with an alleged terror plot in Canada - although police have refused to confirm these reports.

Last week, a number of Muslim men were arrested by the Canadian authorities and charged with planning an "al-Qaeda-inspired" bombing campaign in the Toronto area.

One of the 17 suspects has been accused in a Canadian court of planning to behead the country’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. The FBI claim that the case has links to Britain.

West Yorkshire Police said the 21-year-old man was arrested at 9pm yesterday under the Terrorism Act 2000. At around midnight, officers raided addresses in Bradford in connection with the arrest.

Local people said officers led a man and two women from one of the properties and they were driven away in a police car.

A police spokeswoman said: "Just after 3pm today officers from West Yorkshire Police arrested a 16-year-old man from Dewsbury. He is currently being detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 and is in custody at a police station in West Yorkshire."

She said the operation was "a continuation of last night’s operation at Manchester Airport" but stressed it did not involve armed officers and was not connected to the Metropolitan Police operation in Forest Gate, East London

A next-door neighbour of one of the homes raided in Hanover Square, Bradford said that an elderly lady lived at the property and she was often visited by her two sons who live nearby.

Hasanul Maab said that the woman, along with one of her sons and his wife were led away by police last night.

Mr Maab said: "A police van arrived and some police officers dashed out and started shouting. They used a ram to knock the door down and then they rushed inside shouting.

"They were in there for about an hour before they brought all three people out - two ladies and one young man. They then drove off in a police car."

He said that the man who had gone with police studied law in Bradford and there was "no chance" that he was involved in terrorism.

He added: "I know them all very well. They were really nice and quiet. They were no trouble at all. The woman lives alone but she was often visited by her sons and their children."

The two houses remained sealed off today with police standing guard outside as the searches continued.

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