Leeds raids: The areas raided in Leeds and Dewsbury yesterday are home to Asian and white families and have not been associated with Islamism or widespread racial unrest.
In Dewsbury, about 14km from Leeds, the homes targeted in Thornhill Lees are sandwiched between the predominantly Asian Saville Town and the white neighbourhood of Thornhill Edge.
Last night the community was described by locals as a mixed neighbourhood with good community relations. One property was said to be in a relatively affluent area and the other on a large municipal housing estate.
There are several mosques in and around Thornhill Lees but there is no evidence or history of radical Islamist activity.
A local councillor, Imtiaz Ameen, said there had been no indication of a growth in extremism among the younger members of the community.
"I work very closely with the imans and have lived here most of my life and I have never heard of any militant activity from anybody; no leaflets or firebrand speeches. The young people, like the rest of us, are just trying to live their lives as part of this community as we have done for generations."
The Asian community arrived in Dewsbury from India and Pakistan in the 1950s and 1960s to work in the textile industry. Since then it has become an essential part of the area's economy and culture.
Although locals insist there is no history of radicalism, the arrival of the far right British National Party, which has one councillor in nearby Heckmondwike, has seen a marked increase in tension and a rise in racist attacks.
Locals say there have been flashpoints between Asian and white youths in recent years; they fear a violent backlash after yesterday's developments. "We fully and totally support the police but this could be very bad news for this community," Mr Ameen said.
The raids in central and south Leeds took place in mixed working-class areas with large numbers of people from different ethnic minorities and religious backgrounds. The raid on the house in Burley Lodge, which caused 500 people to be evacuated, centred on an area of back-to-back terrace housing a mile from Leeds city centre.
The neighbourhood has three mosques and one Hindu temple, and is home to around 17 nationalities who speak more than 20 languages. It is also popular with students, young professionals and has a high proportion of elderly residents. The south Leeds areas of Holbeck and Beeston, where the other raids took place, have a high proportion of people from ethnic minority communities, including British Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians.