Seven men were arrested in Britain on suspicion of terrorism after police found guns and other weapons hidden in a car that was impounded for having no insurance.

One man from West Yorkshire and six from the West Midlands are being questioned on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism following a series of arrests this week.

West Midlands officers had impounded the uninsured car, only to find two guns, some ammunition and other offensive weapons hidden inside.

The car was stopped between junctions 33 and 34 of the southbound M1.

This follows a separate counter-terror swoop in London on Thursday, which saw six arrests in Stratford, east London and Ealing, west London. A former police community support officer and Muslim convert Richard Dart, 29, were said to have been among those held.

West Midlands Police said three men aged 23, 26 and 27 from Sparkhill, Birmingham, were held on Tuesday morning. Three more suspects, a 22-year-old from Alum Rock, Birmingham, a 24-year-old from the Moseley area of the city, and a 22-year-old from Smethwick, West Midlands, were arrested on Wednesday evening.

Police said the contents of the car were undergoing forensic analysis and the suspects’ homes had been searched. The guns found were not automatic weapons.

Detectives have been given extra time to question the three men arrested on Tuesday, after the initial 48-hour detention period ran out. They now have until next Tuesday morning to charge or release the men, or apply for a further warrant.