Twelve arrested in police raids

By Tim Castle

LONDON (Reuters) - Police arrested 12 men in counter-terrorism raids across northwest England on Wednesday hours after a security blunder by a top police officer.

The afternoon raids involving several hundred officers took place after Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer was photographed openly carrying a secret document detailing plans for the arrests.

Media said the raids were brought forward because of the potential security breach by Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick.

The document, headlined "Briefing Note: Operation Pathway" described the operation as a "Security Service-led investigation into suspected AQ (al Qaeda) driven attack planning within the UK."

It said 11 people were targeted for arrest, 10 of them Pakistan nationals in Britain on student visas, and one British.

Quick was photographed with the document, labelled "secret," outside Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street offices in London.

"Assistant Commissioner Quick accepts he made a mistake in leaving sensitive documents on open view," Scotland Yard said.

"He deeply regrets it and has apologised to the commissioner and colleagues."