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Twelve men were arrested in Cardiff, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and the capital following intelligence that a terrorist cell was at an advanced stage of planning co-ordinated attacks on shops, banks and “iconic targets” in the capital, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

The dawn raids followed months of surveillance by MI5. Police moved in when intercepted communications suggested that the bombers were ready to act.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates, the country’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, said the raids had been “absolutely necessary” to keep the public safe. The cell was said to have been made up of young British men, largely of Bangladeshi origin, who were influenced by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who is based in Yemen.

The investigation focused on radicals in Stoke-on-Trent who were associated with the banned group al-Muhajiroun, and others in Cardiff and London. Plans for the arrests were drawn up on Friday and police moved in in the early hours of yesterday.

Mr Yates said the operation was “intelligence-led” and the men were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.Theresa May, the Home Secretary, was told about the intended raids last week. She said police were still at an “early stage investigation”. She added: “We know we face a real and serious threat from terrorism and I would like to thank the police and security service for working to keep our country safe.”Those arrested included men from Stoke using the pseudonyms Abu Saif, 19, Abu Bosher, 26, and Abu Sumayyah, 25, a Muslim convert.

Another 26-year-old man from Stoke was among those held, along with five men aged 28, 26, 25, 23 and 24 in Cardiff, and three men, aged 17, 28 and 20 in London.

Some had protested in favour of Islam4UK, a successor organisation to al-Muhajiroun, now also banned, which planned a march through Wootton Bassett against the British troops in Afghanistan.

In Cobridge, Stoke, one of those arrested was alleged by neighbours to have distributed extremist material. The man, who lived alone in a small terrace house, was said to be one of several young Muslims who picketed mosques and stood on street corners handing out leaflets promoting holy war.

Also in Cobridge, four terrace houses were raided in Grove Street, all belonging to the same family. Neighbours said the head of the family was a taxi driver and lived in an end-terrace house while his children lived in the other houses. Wendy Bird, who lives in the street, said: “They are a very nice family, the dad always says hello, he’s very polite.”

In Shelton, Stoke, a large town house was empty yesterday after being raided. Neighbours said the family who lived there was well regarded and had not caused trouble before.

The father was a former taxi driver with several children, they said.

In Tunstall, Stoke, neighbours said an Asian man in his mid-twenties moved in four months ago. Peter Lewis said: “He has never spoken to anyone. He has a lot of people coming and going in the early hours of the morning – it’s very odd – and you can often hear religious chanting and singing coming from the house.”

Three of the suspects were arrested in a three-storey Victorian terrace in the Riverside area of Cardiff. Officers carried out a thorough search of the seven-bedroom property and were reported to have seized a Mercedes estate car. Ramesh Patel, a local councillor, said he had been told by police that there had been five arrests in Cardiff, three in the Riverside area and two in the outlying Ely estate. Most were from a Bangladeshi background, he added. Up to 20 plain clothes officers smashed their way into a flat above the Raj takeaway in the Ely area early on Monday.

Ministers in Iraq have claimed that captured insurgents had said al-Qaeda was planning a wave of attacks over Christmas, and that the suicide bombing in Stockholm earlier this month by a British-based Iraqi was the first.