SIX North-East men arrested on suspicion of terrorist activity were last night reunited with their families after being released without charge.

The men, from Teesside and Darlington, were set free by detectives after spending four days in police custody under the Terrorism Act 2000.

They were arrested on Tuesday during police raids on homes and businesses in Middlesbrough, Darlington, Redcar and Seaton Carew.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Icebolt, was sparked by an anonymous tip-off to police over allegations of money laundering for Islamic terrorists groups and buying weapons.

Last night, the men, who are aged between 29 and 46, declared their innocence and spoke of their anger at their arrests by Durham and Cleveland police officers.

But police said the investigation had not been completed and they were still making inquiries.

Ibrahim Rachid of Northgate, Darlington, was greeted with hugs and kisses from his tearful friends and family.

Embracing his wife Zeinab, 25, and one-year-old daughter Janan, outside his flat, he said: "It is the best thing ever to be back home with my family. My wife and my daughter are all my life.

"What happened to me is terrible. I am an innocent person. Because of someone making this tip-off to the police this has happened to me.

"I have been held for four days without any reason. The tip-off about hand grenades etc has nothing to do with me."

Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, the 29-year-old Palestinian said about his time in custody: "The police came in and told me that I was being released and I knew everything was going to be OK.

"I have no problem with the way the police treated me. I now need to go home and be with my family."

His close friend of 24 years, Hussain Aboudi, said: "It is great news that he is home and we are all very pleased.

"The whole situation has been terrible. The worst thing in life is to go to jail when you are an innocent man."

Palestinian Walid Zamzam revealed that he is to take legal action against the police for unlawful arrest.

His landlord, Salah Ramathan said that he too is to sue Cleveland Police for damage he says they caused during a search of the kebab shop and flat he owns on the seafront at Seaton Carew and which he rents to Mr Zamzam.

In an exclusive interview, he said: "Walid is very stressed. He has hardly eaten anything. He is shocked by the whole thing.

"They (police) have ruined his reputation and business and wrecked my place.

"He has a solicitor and we will take legal action to get our dignity restored," said Mr Ramathan.

He claims police searchers smashed ceilings and tore up floorboards looking for secret hiding places that did not exist.

He also alleged that some documents the police took from the premises were personal papers he had forgotten he had.

A shocked neighbour, who did not want to be named said: "It's scandalous. The police have wrecked the place.

"They went in there. How can they get away with that?"

Mr Zamzam was collected by a friend and taken to stay on Tyneside last night because of the alleged damage to the seaside premises.

Restaurateur Mousa Mohamad arrived back at his home in Stockton Road, Darlington, accompanied by his solicitor having just been released from Stockton police station.

Mr Mohamad said: "I am innocent. I have co-operated fully with the police investigation, but have nothing more to say."

Before his release, his wife Michelle, accompanied by her children, spoke briefly to The Northern Echo on their doorstep.

She said she just "wanted her husband back home".

Mousa's ex-wife Janet Mohamad, of Geneva Road, Darlington, was unaware that her former husband had been released when The Northern Echo called on her.

Janet, who has an eighteen-year-old daughter with the businessman, said: "Our daughter Ruth will be very pleased to hear this news."

Former Teesside University student Salah Famtazi returned to his flat above an empty shop on Gladstone Street, Darlington, to find he was locked out.

The Algerian, who previously worked in Pizza Box, Darlington, refused to comment on the events of the last few days and hid his face from a photographer

In Middlesbrough, relief was written all over the face of Majid Mousa, as he was joined by wife Soud and relatives who gathered to celebrate at his home in Acklam Road.

The 44-year-old, who runs a pizza factory, said he and his family felt vindicated that he had been released without charge and that they now wanted to put the ordeal behind them and get on with their lives. "It's been a nightmare," he said.

Omar Mohammed, the other Middlesbrough man released without charge, could not be contacted by The Northern Echo.

Up to 150 officers, including armed police, staged simultaneous dawn raids on the men's homes and businesses.

They were arrested and held at secret police locations while forensic teams carried out detailed searches of the premises