A SPECIALIST team of police officers was last night continuing to search a house in the North-East as part of a nationwide investigation into terrorism abroad.

The operation, led by Greater Manchester Police, involved five police teams in the UK - Cleveland, Greater Manchester, Metropolitan and Merseyside, and a counter-terrorism support unit based in the Midlands.

About 500 officers raided 18 addresses across the country, 12 in Greater Manchester, one in Merseyside, one in Cleveland, three in the West Midlands and one in London with warrants executed under the Terrorism Act.

Nine people were arrested.

Cleveland Police said officers were continuing to carry out an extensive search of a house in Ayresome Street, Middlesbrough, last night as part of the operation.

The house was raided at about 3am yesterday, but no one has been arrested.

A spokesman said: "Cleveland Police was one of five forces involved in an extensive operation targeting individuals suspected of facilitating terrorism abroad."

One neighbour, who was woken by the raid, said: "All I could see was police officers all over the place. I don't know anything about the people who live at the house, but it still came as a shock."

Police said the investigation was a continuing operation with the Security Service looking at aspects of terrorist activity overseas, including the funding of terrorism.

One of the men arrested in the raids was Taher Nasuf, 44, who works for the Sanabel Relief Agency, in Manchester.

The Birmingham offices of the charity, which says it raises money to relieve the suffering of Muslims around the world, were also searched.

In February, the agency had its assets frozen by the UN after it was accused by the US Government of being a front for an al Qaida terror group.

The charity originally set up an office in Waterloo Road, Middlesbrough. It then moved to premises in Gresham Road, which closed early last year.

The director of the agency, Ghoma Abdrabba, said the Middlesbrough branch was 'under-performing.'

It is alleged that the charity is linked to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a claim denied by the agency.