Met police
Met Police Counter Terrorism Command have arrested a man in Kensington, west London iStock

A man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in Kensington, west London.

The 61-year-old man was arrested at around 4.10pm on Monday (12 September) on suspicion of "possessing an article for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism", the Met Police said in a statement.

The offences for which the man was held are not thought to be Syria-related, said a Met Police spokesman.

Scotland Yard said he was arrested by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command in west London. The man remains in custody, detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, while investigators search an address in Kensington.

The current terror threat level in Britain is "severe", meaning that an attack is highly likely.

It is the second highest of five possible UK terror threat levels.

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe recently declared it was a question of "when, not if", terrorists successfully carried out an attack in the British capital.