- Coach being searched by counter-terrorism officers on M6 hard shoulder
- Toll road expected to be shutdown until this afternoon while searches are completed
- Six people, including one woman, arrested in separate London terror raids
- Man, 24, was Tasered by police during the London operation
- Police say the raids are NOT linked to the Olympics but were made after two were held over alleged plot to attack a canoeing event at the Games
- Three people held in Newham, east London, just miles from the Olympic Stadium
By Rob Cooper
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Counter-terrorism police swooped on a coach on a motorway today after a passenger was reportedly seen pouring liquid into a smoking bag.
Almost 50 passengers were evacuated as officers boarded the vehicle on the M6 toll road after a passenger raised the alarm and told the driver to stop.
The coach, operated by Megabus, was travelling south from Preston to London and had 48 people booked to travel on it.
Armed police were called to the scene after the driver dialled 999 and shut down the motorway during rush hour.
Probe: An armed police officer stands by the megabus coach on the M6 toll road
Terror operation: Police were searching this blue long-distance Megabus coach on the M6 near the toll booth
The passengers were ordered to walk towards the toll plaza one by one as armed police kept watch on the M6 at Weeford, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.
They were ordered to sit in a cordoned off square on the carriageway and a decontamination unit was set-up nearby.
Police surrounded the cordoned-off area, which spread across one lane of the toll road. Police dogs and their handlers were also seen walking nearby.
Several other cordoned off areas could also be seen, along with what appeared to be bright yellow tents on the other side of the toll plaza.
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Eyewitness Nick Jones, who was stopped on the motorway for more than an hour and a half, told BBC News that police warned him to stay in his car, keep his windows closed and not to use air conditioning.
'I was beginning to feel a little uneasy,' he said. 'I was beginning to look around for an escape route.'
The incident happened just hours after five men and a woman were arrested in unrelated terror raids across London.
Cordon: Police launch investigate after the Megabus coach was stopped on the M6 in rush hour this morning
Probe: An area near the toll plaza is cordoned off while police launch an investigation this morning
A spokeswoman for Megabus, which is operated by Stagecoach, said: 'We are assisting police with their inquiries into an allegation made against a passenger who was travelling on board one of our services.'
Megabus offer long-distance coach trips for discounted fares as low as ?1. The vehicle left Preston at 5.10am this morning and was due to get to London Victoria at 10.55am.
A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police said: 'There is currently an ongoing incident on the M6 Toll at Weeford, near Lichfield.
'Both lanes of the toll road have been closed while police deal with the incident.'
Closed: The M6 toll road near Weeford which was shutdown this morning after an incident on a coach causing huge traffic congestion in the area
Police were called to the scene at 8.20am and the road is expected to remain closed until this afternoon.
Motorists caught in the tailbacks took to Twitter to express their frustration.
Neil Crosby wrote: 'Can someone let me know what is going on at the M6 toll road? There's police with guns and 5 unmarked cars. Feels like I'm in Homeland!'
Andy Crinson added: 'Why oh why would I pay to use M6 toll to arrive and find every toll booth closed at 8.30am??? ?shocking.'
Just hours earlier five men and a woman were arrested in separate unrelated terror raids across London, police said.
The six arrests in London were part of a pre-planned intelligence-led operation by counter terrorism officers along with armed officers.
A 24-year-old suspect was Tasered during the raid but he did not require hospital treatment, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.
The arrests were not linked to the Olympics.
Officers are searching eight homes across London and a business premises in east London.
The London operation is understood to relate to a possible plot involving Islamist extremists with potential targets in the UK. The threat was not thought to be imminent.
Some of those arrested are understood to be British nationals.
The arrests happened days after two Muslim converts were held on suspicion of plotting an attack on the London Olympic canoeing venue.
Tailbacks: Chaos on the M6 toll road this morning after the road is shutdown because of the counter-terrorism incident
The 18-year-old and 32-year-old suspects were detained in raids on their homes after being spotted in a dinghy nearby.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the six suspects were being questioned at a south-east London police station.
A 29-year-old man was arrested in the street in west London.
A 21-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were arrested at separate addresses in Ealing, west London, while three other men aged, 18, 24, and 26 were held in Newham, east London.
'Officers from the Metropolitan Police Firearms Unit were involved in these arrests. The 24-year-old man was Tasered during his arrest. He did not require hospital treatment.
'Searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 are being carried out at eight residential premises in east, west and north London and one business premises in east London,' the spokesman added.
'Public safety remains our overriding concern.
'Today?s operation in London is not linked to the Olympic and Paralympic games.'
The arrests come after Jonathan Evans, the director-general of the Security Service, warned last month that Britain had experienced a 'credible terrorist attack plot about once a year since 9/11'.
'In back rooms and in cars and on the streets of this country there is no shortage of individuals talking about wanting to mount terrorist attacks here,' he added.
'The threat is real and remains with us today.'
The threat to the UK from international terrorism is currently rated substantial - the third highest of five levels.
The rating is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (Jtac), based at MI5's headquarters at Thames House in central London, but is independent of the service.
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