POLICE investigating the London Bridge terror attacks which left seven people dead and dozens more injured have arrested 12 people in east London. 

They were detained after an armed raid in Barking today (June 4), just hours after the van and knife rampage by three terrorists who were shot dead by police.

At least four police vans were stationed behind a cordon outside the Elizabeth Fry flats in King's Road, where investigators believe one of the attackers may have lived.

Veronica Oladapo, 45, who lives in a neighbouring block, left her building at around 7am to see police taking four men and a woman away.

She said: "When I came out they were already taking some of the casualties away.

"There were three of them ... the ambulance came and took them away.

"There were another two sitting down inside."

Damien Pettit, who lives in the same block in Barking, was shown a photograph of one of the attackers.

He said he could not be certain it was the same person, but that it looked like a man who lived in the block.

Mr Pettit said: "If it is, I am completely shocked. He has lived here for three years."

Adding that the man he knew had children, he continued: "I am kind of absorbing this at the moment because I can't understand how it could have been him.

"He has always tried to help in terms of what is going on in the area."

More than five hours after the first arrests, a woman in a burka was led into a police van parked outside the flats.

It then drove away with sirens blazing, followed by three other vans.

The swoop spread to East Ham this afternoon, where armed police swarmed a flat in Barking Road and dragged two suspects away, witnesses claim.

Resident Malik Rouf, 30, said one of the men inside the flat jumped out of a first floor window on to a ledge before he was pulled back inside.

He said: "He was about 30 years old and in a vest - he tried to go out the window but the officer was standing with a gun saying 'get back in, get back in.'

"He was dragged out and put in a police van."

He added that both men had shaved heads, full beards and one was wearing Islamic robes.

A line of police tape was put in place around the flat as crowds looked on and officers guarded the perimeter.

Witness Shimma Ali, 32, said it was terrifying to see dozens of armed officers in the street.

She said: "I heard a woman screaming and 20 officers with guns - there was a sniper across the road trained on the window.

"Then a young black man, barefoot and in pyjamas, came out the window.

"They were shouting 'we will shoot you if you don't go back in'.

"I thought he was going to get shot - the police officer had his gun on him and was ready to shoot."

She added: "It's absolutely terrifying - we don't expect it in this area, it's so multicultural and diverse, there's no racism."

Scotland Yard said the investigation into the "horrific attack" at London Bridge and Borough Market was progressing rapidly with officers searching several addresses in the area.