Syria border arrests: Police search family home of seized Briton

 

Police are searching the family home of one of nine Britons who allegedly tried to cross illegally into Syria.

Officers are at the home of Labour councillor Shakil Ahmed, whose son Waheed is among a group of five adults and four children being held in Turkey.
The Rochdale councillor said he had thought his son was on holiday and was shocked by news of his arrest.
The Foreign Office said it was unable to confirm when the nine people would be deported back to the UK.
Waheed's aunt, Zadia Bi, two of her sons and one of their wives, were the other adults detained, Mr Ahmed said.
The group from Rochdale, which also included children aged one, three, eight and 11, was seized in Hatay near the Syrian border on Wednesday.

 

'Good future'

In a statement, Mr Ahmed said he wanted his son to come home "as soon as possible so I can find out what's going on".
"My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don't understand what he's doing there," he said.
"If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities.
"He's studying a degree in politics and sociology at Manchester University and has a good future ahead of him."
The councillor also said that he thought his son was in Birmingham on a work placement.