A FATHER-of-three from Ravensthorpe was one of seven men arrested on suspicion of terror offences after police stopped a car on the motorway.

Police said the car was pulled over for a “routine” check but firearms, offensive weapons and other material were found inside.

The car was stopped on the M1 in South Yorkshire and investigations led to seven men being arrested by West Midlands Police on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

One of those arrested was named locally as Mozam Hussain, 43, of Huddersfield Road, Ravensthorpe.

Sources have described him as a self-styled youth leader who ran his own boxing club in Ravensthorpe

Police descended on his home at 6pm on Thursday.

Mr Hussain, whose terraced home is in the middle of a row of Asian shops opposite the junction with Calder Road, has lived in Ravensthorpe for many years.

It is understood the house originally belonged to his late father.

His brother Khadam ran an Asian clothing shop in front of their home until his death several years ago. The shop has since been turned back into a house.

Mr Hussain, who has recently suffered ill health, lives at the house with his wife Yasmeen and three sons.

A businessman, who has known Mr Hussain for many years, said: “This is a shock. Mo is a decent man who looks after his family. I would describe him as quite a religious man.”

The businessman, who asked not to be named, said that Mr Hussain had an American pitbull terrier called Sniper.

He said the dog had recently been seized by police and the RSPCA after complaints from neighbours.

“Mo loves that dog and people signed a petition to say it was no trouble and he went to court and got it back,” said the man.

“When the police came on Thursday night I asked one of the policemen why they had come for the dog again. They said they hadn’t come for the dog, they had come for something else.

“It was shocking how many police turned up. There must have been 10 marked and unmarked cars and vans.”

The man said Mr Hussain’s sister, who lives in Birmingham, was staying with the family as she did regularly.

Neighbour Mustafa Mohamed, 32, who runs Hairogliphics hair salon, said he knew the family well.

“They are good people,” he said. “I am shocked.”

Police said the six others arrested were all from the West Midlands.

A spokesman said: “The arrests followed a routine stop of a vehicle by police on the M1 motorway in South Yorkshire last Saturday .

“The car was impounded on suspicion of having no insurance.

“Firearms, offensive weapons and other material were later found hidden inside, prompting police to take action to trace and arrest the driver, passenger and others suspected of being involved.”

Three men aged 23, 26 and 27 from Sparkhill, Birmingham, were arrested on Tuesday morning.

Three more suspects, a 22-year-old from Alum Rock, Birmingham, a 24-year-old from the Moseley area of the city, and a 22-year-old from Smethwick, West Midlands, were arrested on Wednesday evening.

Det Chief Supt Kenny Bell, head of the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “As soon as the items were discovered in the impounded vehicle, our priority was to protect the public by pursuing and arresting those we believed to be involved.”

Suspects’ homes were undergoing forensic examination and yesterday police were guarding the house in Ravensthorpe.