British police have arrested 12 people in connection with an “extreme right-wing” terrorism threat targeting an Islamic gathering held in eastern England over the weekend.

The arrests were made across the country on Sunday and Monday, with the detainees aged between 27 and 82. Eleven of the suspects are men, while one woman has also been detained.

The Ijtima festival was attended by around 15,000 people. The event concluded earlier than planned on the advice of the police, who were tipped off about a potential threat.

Eight of the 11 men arrested were detained on suspicion of terrorism. The remaining three were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. The woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. None had been formally charged by the time of writing.-