By Daily Mail Reporter The Daily Mail:

EDL member John Broomfield was pulled from his stationary vehicle after armed police opened fire on his van

Seven men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to blow up a Bournemouth mosque.

The men, six of whom are members of the England Defence League, were taken to Poole and Southampton police stations for questioning before being released without charge.

Among those arrested was EDL member John Broomfield, 27, who was pulled from his stationary vehicle after armed police opened fire on his van in Corfe Castle village.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: ‘Dorset Police can confirm that as part of an investigation surrounding threats to a Bournemouth mosque a total of seven people were arrested for conspiracy to cause an explosion.

‘Following an investigation police can now confirm these people have been released without charge.’

He added: ‘One of the people arrested was detained safely by armed officers in the Corfe Castle area.

‘We’ve been working very closely with the Muslim community and our local safer neighbourhood teams have been providing advice and reassurance throughout.

‘At this stage there is no indication whatsoever that any of the mosques in Dorset are under threat of attack.’

Officers had followed Broomfield home from work and waited until he was stuck in traffic in the tourist spot before they pounced.

When his van came to a halt they fired rounds into the tyres.

They then smashed a window and dragged him out in shocking scenes that followed an investigation into alleged plans to blow up a nearby mosque.

The marksmen used special rapid tyre deflation rounds to disable the white Ford Escort van.

Police then swooped on Mr Broomfield’s home in Swanage and seized computer equipment, mobile phones and passports.

Mr Broomfield, the head of the Dorset EDL, said yesterday: ‘While travelling home from work I was stopped and arrested by armed police.

‘I approached a roundabout near Corfe Castle and there were about six cars in front of me.

‘There was an unmarked police car in a lay-by and within seconds of me stopping police appeared from it, ran up the road and shot at my tyres and smashed the window in.

‘It was extremely scary. I was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause an explosion at a Bournemouth mosque.’

He continued: ‘Five other members of the EDL were also arrested and held for 24 hours for questioning while searches of their homes took place. Then all of us were released without charge.’

Of the alleged plan to blow up the mosque, he added: ‘There has been no conspiracy, there has never been any conspiracy.

‘The EDL is not a terrorist organisation. We are not anti-Muslim, we are anti-Muslim extremism.’

The EDL has been leading demonstrations against Muslim extremism around England since 2009.

Thousands of people have attended its protests – many of which have involved racist and Islamophobic chanting. Organisers, however, insist it is not a racist organisation.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298086/Seven-arrested-Bournemouth-far-right-mosque-bomb-plot.html#ixzz0uvoZjWci