FORENSIC officers worked round-the-clock on finger-tip searches of several houses and businesses in Blackburn after the anti-terror raids which stunned the town.

The focus of the searches centred on Lower Audley Tyre Centre, off Bennington Street, which police first raided late on Tuesday night.

That search was completed yesterday evening, although it is unclear if anything was found as officers went to great lengths to conceal the entrances to the business and their vehicles.

Addresses in Shakeshaft Street and Malham Gardens, Audley, were also visited by police, who maintained a high-profile presence outside the properties throughout yesterday.

Houses in the Whalley New Road area of Bastwell, and one in Greenhead Avenue, Whitebirk, were also raided by local officers, supervised by members of the Metropolitian Police's Special Branch.

They co-ordinated the cross-country raids which took place on Tuesday afternoon, including one in Cherry Tree, in which two Asian men were arrested.

The two local men arrested in the Gold Mercedes stopped in Preston Old Road have been taken to Paddington Green Police Station in London for questioning along with ten other Asian men arrested in London, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

One of the men arrested in London on Tuesday was released without charge yesterday.

Throughout yesterday, search teams came and went from the Lower Audley Tyre Centre, with up to three incident support vans parked around the premises at any one time.

Forensic search officers dressed in paper suits carried out a finger-tip search, and were visible through windows on the first floor of the building.

People claiming to be friends of the owners came and went all day, saying they 'could not believe their eyes' at what was happening.

Staff at Lower Audley MOT Centre, which shares the same building as the Tyre Centre but is unconnected to the inquiry, yesterday tried to get on as normal despite the heavy police presence next door.

One member of staff said: "It looks very bad for us.

"Everyone sees it on the telly and assumes we're up to no good. It's nothing to do with us.

"The first we knew about it was when we got to work this morning and the police vans were already there.

"They've not really told us much but we've had to guess the rest.

"Everyone keeps asking us what is going and we really don't know."