Car bomb defused in central London: Difference between revisions

Friday, June 29, 2007 

A car containing an large explosive device has been defused in the Haymarket, London. A second device was later found in a car park in Park Lane.

A car, a light metallic green Mercedes-Benz E Class saloon (produced 1984-1995), parked near the nightclub 'TigerTiger', contained petrol, gas cylinders and nails. Police described it as a "potentially viable explosive device".

Police carried out a controlled explosion at 2:00 a.m. BST and the car has been taken to a forensic explosives laboratory for further investigation.

Eyewitnesses saw the car driving "erratically" and colliding with bins before being abandoned. An ambulance crew in the area alerted police after seeing smoke inside the car.

Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Clarke said there could have been "significant injury or loss of life".

A meeting of COBRA, chaired by new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was held about the incident.

Police say it is too early to tell who is behind the threat. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the country faces a "serious and continued security threat" and urged people to "be vigilant at all times".

Disruption has been caused to transport in the area with roads closed and bus routes diverted. Piccadilly Circus tube station has reopened after an earlier closure

Police are reviewing major events to be held in London over the weekend.

CBS News has reported that a message appeared on the widely used jihadist Internet forum Al-Hesbah at 8:09 a.m. June 28, saying: "Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah, London shall be bombed." The message went on to mention the recently announced knighthood of Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.

Following an incident at Glasgow airport, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced the elevation of the UK's national threat level from "Severe" to "Critical", indicating that an attack could be expected "imminently".

Two people have been arrested in Cheshire in connection with the Glasgow International Airport attack and attempted London car bombings.

Park Lane was closed to the public due to a suspicious car parked in the underground car park beneath Hyde Park. Police, who believed the two incidents to be linked, cordoned off Park Lane and Hyde Park to allow the bomb disposal unit access to the vehicle. The car was illegally parked on Cockspur Street and was towed to the pound on Park Lane, it was then discovered that the car contained an explosive device.

• "UK terror threat now 'critical'" — BBC News, June 30, 2007
• "Police avert car bomb 'carnage'" — BBC News Online, June 29, 2007
• "London car bomb 'could have killed many'" — Guardian Unlimited, June 29, 2007
• "London mayor calls for vigilance" — BBC News Online, June 29, 2007
• "Police: Car bomb may have been inspired by al-Qaida" — Guardian Unlimited, June 29, 2007
• "Q&A on today's car bomb incident" — Guardian Unlimited, June 29, 2007
• Catherine Mayer. "Probing the London Bomb Plot" — TIME, June 29, 2007
• "News in pictures: Loindon Bomb Scare" — Sky News Online, June 29, 2007
• "Serious incident in central London" — MI5 (Goverment Agency), June 29, 2007
• Dominic Casciani. "Car bomb: The race for evidence" — BBC News Online, June 29, 2007
• "Police say London bomb could have killed many" — Reuters UK, June 29, 2007
• "Two car bombs found in West End" — BBC News Online, June 29, 2007
• "Q&A: Car bomb investigation" — BBC News Online, June 29, 2007
• "London Car Bomb" — Flickr, June 29, 2007
• Tucker Reals. "Was London Bomb Plot Heralded On Web?" — CBS News Online, June 29, 2007

• "Current threat level (UK)" — Home Office, June 30, 2007

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2007 London car bombs

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This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable. Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication. Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.