A 53-year-old man has been arrested in south west London, suspected of possessing explosive material and terror offences.

The Metropolitan Police announced the arrest this evening (March 23).

The police statement said it was made yesterday at an undisclosed location in south west London.

The 53-year-old was detained "on suspicion of possession of an explosive substance" under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

The Met Police statement added that he "was subsequently further arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism under Section 40(1)(B) Terrorism Act (TACT) 2000".

The suspect is now being held at a central London police station.

Meanwhile, further searches are being conducted where he was arrested, with a police cordon in place.

"The risk to people in nearby properties has been assessed and it hasn’t been deemed necessary to evacuate addresses in the surrounding area. Enquiries continue," a spokesperson said.