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Police hunt for London car bomber Police hunting London car bombers
(about 9 hours later)
Police are searching for the driver of an abandoned car containing a bomb that would have killed hundreds of people in central London had it exploded. Anti-terrorism police have launched a huge manhunt for the people who planted two car bombs in central London.
An ambulance crew spotted the metallic green Mercedes by chance outside the busy Tiger Tiger night club in Haymarket at 0130BST (0030GMT). Police, who have described events as "troubling", are studying hours of CCTV footage in the search for suspects.
Police defused a bomb made of 60 litres of petrol, gas cylinders and nails. The cars - both Mercedes - were packed with nails, petrol and gas cylinders, but the devices were not detonated.
The BBC's Daniel Sandford said a second device was found in another Mercedes in a car park in London's Park Lane. One car was found outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus early on Friday, while the second was towed to a Park Lane pound before its device was found.
The major thoroughfare was closed while bomb squad officers checked the vehicle. It reopened at 1930BST. Security reviewed
The Haymarket area remains closed as dozens of officers carry out forensic searches. The Mercedes is being tested at the Forensics Explosives Laboratory in Kent. Good progress is said to have been made in the search of CCTV, with unconfirmed reports suggesting police may have an image of a suspect leaving the vehicle left outside the Tiger Tiger club in Haymarket.
CCTV footage is also being examined and police are believed to be making some progress towards getting an image of the driver.
The BBC understands that the second car was towed to the Park Lane car park after it was found parked illegally in the West End.
Staff at the pound contacted police after hearing about the Haymarket bomb because the vehicle smelled of petrol.
Extra patrols
Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur urged people to be "alert and vigilant" and report anything suspicious to police.
Disruption would be kept to a minimum, he said, although the police were reviewing the safety of big public events to take place in the capital over the weekend.
"I want to reassure Londoners that we are doing everything possible to make them safe," he added.
Following Friday's discovery police patrols in central London were stepped up "to provide a visible reassurance", rather than in response to a specific threat.
Officers were visiting licensed premises to reiterate crime prevention and safety advice, said a police spokesman.
See map of where device was found See map of where devices were found
"International elements" are believed to be involved with the Haymarket bomb, Whitehall sources have told the BBC. Meanwhile, police have increased their patrols of the capital and are reviewing security for a number of public events taking place in the city this weekend.
Police sources said the bomb would have caused "carnage" if it exploded. They said the safety of the public was their top priority and urged everyone to remain vigilant.
Nightclubbers Simultaneous, co-ordinated bombs have historically been a distinguishing feature of [al-Qaeda's] anti-Western attacks Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6253802.stm">Car bomb leads class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/6253418.stm">In pictures: Car bomb class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6252730.stm">Eyewitness accounts
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said: "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life." News that the second Mercedes also contained explosive materials came on Friday evening, several hours after details of the car abandoned outside Tiger Tiger nightclub had emerged.
The ambulance had been called to the nightclub - where up to 1,700 people were inside - when they spotted what they thought was smoke, now believed to have been vapour released from the petrol. Both contained bombs which were similar, potentially viable and clearly linked, police said.
It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life Peter ClarkeScotland Yard Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said the discovery of the second device was "obviously troubling" and "reinforces the need for the public to be alert".
Bomb experts manually disabled the "potentially viable explosive device". "There was a considerable amount of fuel and gas canisters, as in the first vehicle. There was also a substantial quantity of nails," he said.
Scotland Yard declined to comment on reports a mobile phone was found in the Mercedes at Haymarket that may have been intended to trigger the explosion. Speaking earlier about the first bomb, DAC Clarke said: "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life."
TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS Trocadero exit to Piccadilly Circus tube station closedHaymarket closed between Pall Mall and Piccadilly CircusPark Lane closed between Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner27 bus routes on diversionNorthbound traffic from Piccadilly and Lower Regent St on diversionCoventry St and Shaftesbury Ave southbound closed class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6253802.stm">Car bomb leads class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/6253418.stm">In pictures: Car bomb Police have increased their patrols of London
One report claimed a police officer disconnected the mobile phone before bomb squad officers arrived. The government's emergencies committee, known as Cobra, will be meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the attempted bombings, the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said.
Mobile phones have been used to detonate bombs in Iraq and Indonesia and in other terror attacks, such as the 2004 Madrid bombings. The meeting could be chaired by either Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
The car bomb has echoes of other terror plots. Five men were jailed for life in April for a UK bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that targeted a shopping centre and a nightclub with a giant fertiliser bomb. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the discovery of the second car was prompting investigators towards suspecting the involvement of al-Qaeda sympathisers.
"Simultaneous, co-ordinated bombs have historically been a distinguishing feature of [al-Qaeda's] anti-Western attacks," he said.
Petrol smell
Our correspondent said Western intelligence agencies had detected recent discussion among jihadis in the UK and abroad about targeting Britain.
But Whitehall sources said there had not been any specific intelligence and no-one has yet claimed to be behind the attempted bombings.
INVESTIGATION TIMELINE 0125 Ambulance crew called to Tiger Tiger club to treat sick person. Crew notice smoke from metallic green Mercedes outside0200 Police cordon off area while explosives officers examine vehicle0230 Blue Mercedes parked illegally in Cockspur Street, near Haymarket0330 Blue Mercedes taken to car pound in Park LanePolice disable device in green Mercedes.0400 Witness sees police removing gas canisters from green Mercedes 1000 Prime Minister Gordon Brown says country faces "serious threat"1025 Green Mercedes removed from Haymarket1030 Government emergency response committee Cobra meets1430 Park Lane closed off as police investigate second car2045 Police confirm second car contained bomb material All times BST
The second bomb was found in a blue 280E model Mercedes in a Park Lane car pound, where it had been towed early on Friday after being given a ticket for illegally parking in Cockspur Street, near Trafalgar Square.
Police were alerted after staff who had heard about the Haymarket bomb noticed a strong smell of petrol coming from it.
Officers had been alerted to the first bomb by an ambulance crew who had been called to Tiger Tiger nightclub to deal with a separate incident.
They had spotted smoke - now believed to have been vapour from the petrol in the car - inside a metallic green Mercedes parked outside the club.
Bomb experts manually disabled the device.
Scotland Yard declined to comment on reports a mobile phone was found in the Mercedes that may have been intended to trigger the explosion.
Mobiles have been used to detonate bombs in Iraq and Indonesia and in other terror attacks, such as the 2004 Madrid bombings.
Both cars have been taken away for forensic examination.
The attempted car bombings have echoes of other foiled terror plots.
'Significant timing'
Five men were jailed for life in April for a UK bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that targeted a shopping centre and a nightclub with a giant fertiliser bomb.
The second Mercedes in Park Lane also contained explosive materials
And Dhiren Barot was jailed for life last November for conspiring to park limousines packed with gas canisters underneath high-profile buildings before detonating them.And Dhiren Barot was jailed for life last November for conspiring to park limousines packed with gas canisters underneath high-profile buildings before detonating them.
DAC Clarke told a press conference it was too early to say who was responsible but the incident "resonated" with previous terror plots. DAC Clarke said the Haymarket incident "resonated" with previous cases.
Alert Meanwhile, correspondents say the timing of the car bombs was significant - coming two days after Mr Brown became prime minister, and with the second anniversary of the 7 July bombings approaching.
Speaking in Downing Street after meeting Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the new Home Office minister for security, Admiral Sir Alan West, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith urged members of the public to report anything suspicious to the police.
She said had the bomb detonated it would have caused "considerable loss of life."
Mr Brown said Britain faced "a serious and continuous threat" and the public "need to be alert" at all times.
The BBC's Andy Tighe said the timing of the car bomb was significant coming a day after Mr Brown became prime minister, and with the second anniversary of the 7 July bombings approaching.
The current terror threat level has been classed severe - one level lower than the highest "critical" - since 14 August 2006.The current terror threat level has been classed severe - one level lower than the highest "critical" - since 14 August 2006.
Intelligence sources said they were keeping an open mind on who was responsible for the car bomb.
Police have urged anyone with information to phone the confidential Anti-Terrorist hotline number on 0800789321.Police have urged anyone with information to phone the confidential Anti-Terrorist hotline number on 0800789321.
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