'This is just a normal community'

Residents in Leeds are trying to come to terms with the fact that they have been living in the midst of suspected suicide bombers.

"This is just a normal community where people do normal things," one resident of Colwyn Rd, Beeston, said in disbelief yesterday.

"There are lots of families, ordinary families."

Locals gathered behind the police tape cordoning off a 50m stretch of No 51 Colwyn Rd, shocked by the events that began with police raids early in the morning. Police also sealed off several vehicles on Colwyn Rd, including two Mercedes. A Volkswagen car outside No 51 was also cordoned off.

Samina Khan, a mother, said she was scared to travel on the bus back to her home in Beeston knowing that a suspected suicide bomber may have lived around the corner from her house.

But she was also scared of the backlash her community would face by racists.

"We all have to suffer," she said. "If these people are responsible then I am scared getting on a bus because they live round the corner. But I've also got to suffer people calling me Paki, even if these guys aren't responsible.

"This is as much a shock to me as to a non-Muslim. We live in this country and we can die in the same bomb."

Her friend, like many in the community, said she felt persecuted and that the latest revelations and police action would amplify the sense of persecution.

"Because of this every Muslim has to suffer. If it is them, they have done harm for Muslims, but now we are going to pay for it. People are racist enough as it is."

Shaziyah Khan said her community was peaceful and she was shocked to see the cordons. Muslims were as distressed by the bombs as anyone.

"We feel for the people in London. Muslims were some of them. We feel for the families who lost their loved ones, but we also feel for the family on Colwyn Rd who are a good family."

One man said: "There's lots of young families and people getting on with their lives here. Everyone gets on."

A young white man at the cordon said: "It's the young white lads round here that cause the problems. There's a huge problem with drugs."

A 21-year-old local man said: "They're all normal lads, very, very top lads they are. Police are just doing this for no reason. They don't know what they are doing at the end of the day. This is a load of nonsense."

Leeds resident Nathan Clark, who was evacuated from his home just around the corner from the house being searched in Burley, described the surprise in the neighbourhood.

"People are shocked. There's no other response. Everyone just stood there in amazement that it's happened on their doorstep. People do feel it wasn't on their doorstep before and now it's been brought there."

Another property raided was in Colenso Mount, Holbeck. A neighbour said: "The lad lived here all his life. They were nice people."

- INDEPENDENT