THREE men appeared in court today charged with possessing prohibited weapons after a security alert at Dover.

The three men, all aged 23 and from London, appeared before magistrates at Folkestone. They are Amir Khan, a county court bailiff, from Kensington, Ramin Malique, a garage manager, from Clapham, and Zubiar Khan, from Kenniston, west London.

Police have been keen to stress the charges they face are of a criminal and not terrorist nature.