TWO men have been charged in the UK with planning a Christmas terror attack after police foiled their plot in a raid earlier this month.

Farhad Salah, 22, from Sheffield and a 31-year-old man from Chesterfield will appear in court on Friday charged with engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism.

Specialist counter terrorism police raided five properties on December 19 — the anniversary of the Berlin Christmas market attack — following an “Islamist related” investigation.

Four men were arrested in the dramatic pre-dawn raids and the Army Bomb Disposal Squad was called to one address after it was feared to contain explosives.

One man, aged 36, remains in custody while the fourth was released.

Terrified residents had to evacuate their homes and local schools were placed on lockdown during the raids, which included homes, offices and a community centre. People described hearing explosions as the police rounded up the suspects.

In a year which has seen major terror attacks in London and Manchester, UK counter terrorism police are running 500 live investigations involving 3,000 individuals at any one time. Counter terror arrests in the UK increased by 54 per cent this year.

Meanwhile Western intelligence agencies last week warned that more than 300 hardened, British-born ISIS fanatics are “hiding out” in Turkey preparing acts of terrorism, following the fall of ISIS strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul, and waiting for an opportunity to slip back into Britain.