THREE Londoners have appeared in court charged with possessing prohibited weapons and ammunition following a security alert at Dover.

The three 23-year-olds were granted conditional bail at the hearing 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 west London.

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

The port of Dover was shut to traffic for seven hours last Friday after weapons were allegedly found in a car arriving on a ferry from Calais.

The case was adjourned until Wednesday, 10 September, when the three men are due to appear again before Folkestone magistrates.