I've just been caught up in a terror raid!

[wadhurstseagull]

Not strictly true - was prevented from taking a particular road between Wadhurst and Crowborough due to an "incident". In fact, police were raiding a large building that has been an Islamic "school" for the past 6 years. Everyone is aware of its existance around here but no one really knows anything about it - keep themselves very much to themselves. As I am typing, there are numerous police sirens - we may at last find out what the "school" is actually about.

 

[readingstockport]

Is that the one near Tunbridge? Apparently linked to the arrests last night according to the BBC.

 

[wadhurstseagull]

Abut 5 miles to the south of Tunbridge Wells.

 

[burrish gull]

Abu Hansa was spotted there on numerous occasions in the past, my missus who's a nurse knows the area, apparently a local old biddy bumped into him one night.

 

[burrish gull]

From the BBC...

An Islamic school near Tunbridge Wells has also been searched as part of the same ongoing operation.

The Jameah Islameah property, on a road named Catt's Hill between Rotherfield and Mark Cross in East Sussex, is an Islamic teaching facility on a large rural site, for boys aged between 11 and 16.

According to its website the premises also encourages Islamic groups to "appoint a person from your centre who wishes to serve the community and send them to us to be trained".

It also says these individuals will then become "qualified enough to teach in local Masajeds and Madares".

At the time of its last inspection, in December, the school only had nine pupils.

Eyewitness reports say the area has now been sealed off and that about 100 officers were at the scene.

 

[Lankyseagull]

I grew up about a quarter of a mile away and my parents still live there!

It used to be a Ballet School until about 10/12 years ago, then stayed empty for 2/3 years. Jameah Islam suddenly arrived on the scene & for the first 2 years or so we were woken on Sunday morning by speakers blaring out Islamic prayer!

It made front page news in last weeks Sunday Express as allegedy "The Hook" Abu Hamza stayed there for several days!

I will admit there are only a dozen or so people up there and as a school the only teach a handedful of pupils, but have come under fire for not having a wider curriculum. An Inspectors report has suggested that the majority of time the study the Koran.

A few weeks ago one of my parents neighbours noticed a suspicious looking car with a couple of men in it parked up nearby for most of the day. She went to investigate and was shown a police identity card - so they've obviously been watching the place for a while.

Shocking that such a quiet rural area could be caught up in terrorism.

 

[Scotty Mac]

they are everywhere these days