COUNTER terrorism officers are appealing for information after munitions were stolen from a freight train which had stopped in Warrington.

Police say 10 packages owned by the MoD were taken from the train, which had set off from Cumbria on Wednesday, while it was temporarily stationary in the town.

Seven of the packages, each containing four separate plastic cases, have now been found near a railway line in Folly Lane, Dallam.

However three of the packages, which were made up of a total of 12 plastic cases, are still outstanding.

They were initially reported missing to British Transport Police on Thursday morning when the train arrived at its destination in Oxfordshire.

Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police and the MoD are investigating and anyone who has seen the missing packages is urged to contact police.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney, from the NWCTU, said: "A number of inquiries are now being made by police officers into this theft, and our main priority is to safely recover the missing items.

"At this stage there is nothing to suggest the theft is terrorist-related, but due to the potential complexity of the investigation, our inquiries are being led by counter terrorism officers.

"I want to make it clear that, in their normal condition, these munitions are stable and do not pose a risk to the public.

"However, the materials could be hazardous if they were to be tampered with and we therefore ask that anyone who sees them or knows where they are to call the police as soon as possible."

They are described as being rectangular plastic tubes and approximately 4ft in length.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 1027 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.