Police were continuing to question three men this afternoon after home-made bombs were found in a flat two miles from Gatwick Airport.

Nearby homes were evacuated after two devices were found at a flat above a shop in Langley Parade, Langley Green, Crawley, yesterday.

Police say it's too early to link the bombs with any specific target or organisation.

Inspector Geoff Sharnock said: "During a routine inquiry two viable improvised explosive devices were found. They are effectively home-made bombs.

"Three men have been arrested. One was arrested elsewhere and two were arrested at the flat."

A spokesman for Sussex Police said he could not confirm reports that the arrested men were Portuguese.

Police and Gatwick bosses have so far played down any link between the incident and the airport.

Terminal manager Christine Gover said: "I'm aware that there is an incident ongoing in Crawley but at this stage there is not any confirmed link with Gatwick."

Detective Chief Inspector Tony O'Donnell said: "At this stage the search of the address is continuing and it's too early to speculate on the motive behind this incident."

This afternoon a Sussex Police spokesman said the three men, aged 41, 38 and 35, were still being held but added that there "was no cause for alarm".

He said: "The 41-year-old had been arrested in connection with an unrelated criminal matter earlier yesterday.

"As a result the flat was searched and the devices found. The two other men, aged 38 and 35, were arrested at the scene as a result. All three are currently being held under the Terrorism Act 2000."

He said 25 properties in the area had been evacuated during a "thorough examination" of the scene and added: "All necessary safety precautions are being taken. There is no cause for alarm, but Sussex Police apologises for the inevitable local disruption that this is causing."

A police cordon was put up around the shopping parade and more than a dozen officers were today guarding the flat, above an engraving shop called Jem.

The flat's leaseholder said he rented it out to a man called Jose Pestana.

David Matthews, 34, of Rusper, who manages the engraving shop, said he was taking Mr Pestana to court in a claim for £22,000 of unpaid rent.

He said: "I don't know if Mr Pestana is one of the men who has been taken into custody."

Mr Matthews said there was no evidence Mr Pestana was a religious extremist.

Local residents said they believed the men who were arrested worked at Gatwick. They also said there had been "trouble" at the flat.

Pinakin Patel, who owns Kandies Sweets in Langley Parade, said: "They often came back wearing airport-style clothes as if they were cleaners or something.

"The men from the flat often came into my shop to buy cigarettes. They looked Portuguese and spoke Portuguese.

"We have heard that there were problems at that flat, and if you look at it all the windows are smashed, but we don't know exactly what went on there."

Amil Patel, 35, the owner of a mini-supermarket in the parade, said police told local residents at 3.30pm yesterday to leave the area immediately.

He said: "I was very surprised. It was scary. They just said we must leave immediately. We did not even have time to pick up any belongings. We have not been allowed back yet.

"I have lived here for years and it has always been a very nice place."

Neighbours gathered this morning in the Dr Samuel Johnson pub, which has become an unofficial meeting point, to share stories of the drama.

Pub manager Barry Dobbs said police began arriving at 4pm, followed by the bomb squad. He said: "The police came in and told everyone to keep away from the windows. They said there was a bomb threat."

Police said anti-terrorist measures prevented them from giving further details about the size and sophistication of the devices.

Inspector Simon Morley of Horsham police said Langley Parade could remain closed until tomorrow as examination of the flat continues.

Jan Rutgers, operations manager at the Holiday Inn in Crawley, said 15 rooms were taken last night by the evacuees.

The rooms were booked by Crawley Borough Council who have guaranteed payment but the room rate has not been disclosed.

*A BAA security guard stumbled across a 'rusty wartime munitions' device near Gatwick's South Terminal this morning.

Police called in Army bomb disposal experts to examine the object and say there is no connection between the discovery and yesterday's arrests in Crawley.

The terminal was not evacuated but airport traffic was held up.