n appeal Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman

HUNDREDS of protesters were expected at a demonstration today over the controversial east London anti-terror raid.

One of Scotland Yard's most senior officers appealed for calm before the protest outside Forest Gate police station.

Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman said it was not the time for conflict and anger and he urged all communities to pull together.

His words came after he apologised directly for the disruption and inconvenience when a house was raided in the hunt for a suspected chemical bomb last Friday.

One of two suspects, Mohammed Abdul Kahar, was shot in a struggle with armed police.

Meanwhile, Anjem Choudary, the former UK head of the Islamic group al-Muhajiroun, said:

"The Muslim community are treated as second-class citizens.

"There is a shoot and ask questions later policy which has been facilitated by a whole raft of draconian laws.

"The police, at the end of the day, are implementing policies introduced by this government."

Police have yet to find what they hoped to discover in the house.

This is believed to be a chemical-based explosive device.

Mr Hayman said if police did not find it there the search could continue elsewhere, to prove or disprove the intelligence which led to the raid.

This could mean more raids linked to the investigation.