Houses in Forest Gate and Stratford were raided by counter-terrorism police, it has emerged.

It comes after five men from east London were arrested close to the Sellafield nuclear site on Monday.

Properties in Forest Gate, Stepney and two in Stratford were searched yesterday.

A small container was removed at one of the addresses and is being examined, Scotland Yard said.

Explosives officers were at the scene as a precaution, but the container is not thought to have had explosives or hazardous material in it.

The five suspects, who are all aged in their 20s, were arrested after Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers conducted a stop check on their vehicle.

The men, who are believed to be Bangladeshi, are understood to have been taking photographs at the nuclear waste reprocessing site.

They were held in Carlisle overnight by Greater Manchester Police before being moved to Manchester.

The force said the events are not believed to be connected to the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

The arrests are not thought to have been intelligence-led.