Pete Townshend is the highest profile arrest

More than 350 officers were involved in the raids in Greater London on Wednesday, seizing a large quantity of computer equipment.

The men were taken for questioning at police stations across the capital after being arrested on suspicion of the downloading and distribution of images of child abuse on the internet.

Children's charity the NSPCC assisted police officers on the operation.

The long-running investigation began after US postal investigators handed British police a list of more than 7,000 men suspected of using their credit cards to access websites containing child pornography.

More than 1,600 have so far been arrested, including Pete Townshend, guitarist from The Who and Massive Attack member Robert Del Naja.

The police spokesman said: "We are sending out a strong warning to those who think they can remain anonymous and escape the law by using the internet to access abusive images of children."

Operation Ore has become one of the most high profile investigations in the history of UK policing.

As well as dozens of police officers, those questioned include a magistrate, a judge and teachers, as well as celebrities.

Police estimate 46 of the 1,600 arrested are directly involved in the abuse of children.

But one senior police officer has concededed the operation is taking officers away from other child protection duties.

Detective Chief Superintendent Derrick Kelleher, commander of the Metropolitan Police Child Protection Group, said it a was a time-consuming exercise to match credit card numbers to names and to prioritise arrests.