Parsons Green attack: Latest suspects lived in 'halfway house' for asylum seekers, say neighbours

The two latest men being questioned over the Parsons Green tube attack were arrested in a raid on a "halfway house" for asylum seekers, neighbours have said.

The two suspects, aged 48 and 30, were taken into custody in Newport, South Wales, just after 5am on Wednesday.

It came after another man was arrested at a separate address in the city on Tuesday evening.

Searches are being carried out at four addresses and Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met Counter-Terrorism Command, says they are expected to take "some days to complete".

The two men detained on Wednesday are believed to live in West Street, close to the city centre.

Residents described the property being searched as a "halfway house" for asylum seekers.

One local businessman, who did not want to be named, said: "It's apparently a halfway house for the Home Office.

"The people that live there don't come from around here. I don't think they've been there for long."

Witnesses to the arrest in Newport on the previous evening described officers "jumping" a man who was put into a police car and driven away.

One resident said: "A big van pulled up and six officers got out and jumped this guy.

"There were two armed officers there, they didn't have their guns pointed at him but they had them on show. The guy was smiling."

Residents said the arrested man had lived in the area for many years and attended local mosques.

"He was a nice guy, everybody knew him," one man said. "He was a student here and he worked as a painter and decorator."

A Muslim woman who did not want to be named said the man had helped with painting work at her house about two years ago.

"He was a nice guy, he was very softly spoken," she said. "He used to condemn terrorism in front of my husband, my husband would condemn terrorism and he would agree with him.

"I know he is a Muslim but I don't know what mosque he went to.

"Muslims in this area are totally shocked, we condemn terrorism totally and we totally condemn what happened in London."

The latest arrests bring the number of people being held over Friday's bomb attack in southwest London to five.

Two other men, aged 18 and 21, are still in custody in connection with the attack after being detained at the weekend.

Detectives have been given more time to question them.

Yahyah Farroukh, 21, is listed as living at an address in Stanwell, Surrey, which was searched by officers on Sunday.

The 18-year-old man, who was arrested in Dover, is suspected of planting the device, which exploded on a District line train shortly after it pulled into the station.

Magistrates have granted warrants allowing Farroukh to be held until Thursday, and the younger suspect until Saturday.