Two trainee doctors, aged 25 and 28, who were arrested over the failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow, have been released without charge.

Police have been given until July 21 to continue questioning another suspect — Dr Mohammed Asha, 26, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, who was arrested on the M6 motorway in Cheshire on June 30.

Police have charged Dr Sabeel Ahmed, 26, from Bangalore, India with possessing information that could have prevented an act of terrorism. He will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London today.Mohammed Haneef, a 27-year-old Indian doctor accused of supporting the failed car bomb attacks, will not be extradited while he faces charges in Australia, the Attorney-General said.

The developments came as a senior police officer said that terror suspects should be detained for “as long as it takes”.

‘Items sent as earthquake aid’

Hidden among clothing were goods selected and purchased to support the activities of terrorists, a court was told

Multimedia

• Pictures: Glasgow airport attack

BACKGROUND

• Brown plans to double 28-day detention limit

• Men in bungled raid say police attacked again

• More than Vigilance

• 'Dirty bomb' mastermind plotted wave of atrocities across Britain

• Jihadi house parties of hate

Civil liberties campaigners immediately seized on the comments made by Ken Jones, forcing the head of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) to accept the need for a time limit. The association has been telling the Government that it needs an increase to the 28-day time limit on detention without charge or trial.

Mr Jones, a former chairman of Acpo’s counter-terrorism committee, told The Observer: “We are now arguing for judicially supervised detention for as long as it takes. We are up against the buffers on the 28-day limit.We understand people will be concerned and nervous, but we need to create a system with sufficient judicial checks and balances which holds people, but no longer than a day [more than] necessary.”

But last night he said that he had no desire for indefinite detention. He said: “We are not arguing for some kind of Guantanamo nonsense for the UK.”

He added that Acpo wanted the checks and balances to be stepped up to reassure the public before the issue of time limits was discussed again.

The prospect of an extension to the detention period is believed to have been discussed with Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, who has signalled his intention to revisit the subject of detention without trial this year. When Tony Blair attempted to introduce a 90-day detention period two years ago, he was defeated in the Commons.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said that the police should stick to upholding the rule of law.

David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: “All the evidence shows that when the police tried to claim the need for 90-day detention without charge they were wrong and Parliament’s decision on 28 days was right. If 90 days was wrong, indefinite detention is even more wrong.”

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