British man arrested under terror laws after TV interview about soldier's slaying

British police arrested a man under anti-terrorism laws at BBC headquarters after he said in an interview that security services tried to recruit one of two men arrested after a soldier was hacked to death in a London street.

Michael Adebolajo, 28 and Michael Adebowale, 22, are under armed guard in hospital after being shot and arrested by police on Wednesday on suspicion of murdering 25-year-old Lee Rigby, a veteran of the Afghan war.

A man identified by the BBC as Abu Nusaybah told its flagship news programme, Newsnight, that intelligence officers had approached Adebolajo six months ago to see if he would work for them as an informant. He said Adebolajo had refused.

BBC reporter Richard Watson, who interviewed him, said police were waiting to arrest Nusaybah after the interview had finished on Friday.

London's Metropolitan Police said counterterrorism officers had arrested a 31-year-old man on "suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism".

A police spokesman said the arrest was made at the BBC building, but did not confirm the man's identity. He also said the arrest was not directly linked to the soldier's murder.