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| Police hunting London car bombers | Police hunting London car bombers |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Anti-terrorism police have launched a huge manhunt for the people who planted two car bombs in central London. | Anti-terrorism police have launched a huge manhunt for the people who planted two car bombs in central London. |
| Police, who have described events as "troubling", are studying hours of CCTV footage in the search for suspects. | Police, who have described events as "troubling", are studying hours of CCTV footage in the search for suspects. |
| The cars - both Mercedes - were packed with nails, petrol and gas cylinders, but the devices were not detonated. | The cars - both Mercedes - were packed with nails, petrol and gas cylinders, but the devices were not detonated. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Security reviewed | Security reviewed |
| Good progress is said to have already 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. | Good progress is said to have already 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. |
| See map of where devices were found | See map of where devices were found |
| 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. | 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. |
| They said the safety of the public was their top priority and urged everyone to remain vigilant. | They said the safety of the public was their top priority and urged everyone to remain vigilant. |
| Simultaneous, co-ordinated bombs have historically been a distinguishing feature of [al-Qaeda's] anti-Western attacks Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent Car bomb leads In pictures: Car bomb | |
| News that the second Mercedes also contained explosive materials came on Friday evening, several hours after details of the car abandoned outside Tiger Tiger had emerged. | News that the second Mercedes also contained explosive materials came on Friday evening, several hours after details of the car abandoned outside Tiger Tiger had emerged. |
| Both contained bombs which were similar, potentially viable and clearly linked, police said. | Both contained bombs which were similar, potentially viable and clearly linked, police said. |
| 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". | 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". |
| "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. | "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. |
| 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." | 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." |
| Police have increased their patrols of London class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6252730.stm">Eyewitness accounts class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6256386.stm">Car bombs timeline | |
| The government's emergencies committee, known as Cobra, will be meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the attempted bombings. | The government's emergencies committee, known as Cobra, will be meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the attempted bombings. |
| The meeting could be chaired by either Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. | The meeting could be chaired by either Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. |
| BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the discovery of the second car was prompting investigators to suspect the involvement of al-Qaeda sympathisers. | BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the discovery of the second car was prompting investigators to suspect 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. | "Simultaneous, co-ordinated bombs have historically been a distinguishing feature of [al-Qaeda's] anti-Western attacks," he said. |
| Petrol smell | Petrol smell |
| Our correspondent said Western intelligence agencies had detected recent discussion about targeting Britain among jihadis in the UK and abroad. | Our correspondent said Western intelligence agencies had detected recent discussion about targeting Britain among jihadis in the UK and abroad. |
| But Whitehall sources said there had not been any specific intelligence and no-one has yet claimed to have been behind the attempted bombings. | But Whitehall sources said there had not been any specific intelligence and no-one has yet claimed to have been behind the attempted bombings. |
| The second bomb was found in a blue 280E model Mercedes in a Park Lane car pound, where it had been towed at 0330 BST on Friday after being given a ticket for illegally parking in Cockspur Street, near Trafalgar Square. | The second bomb was found in a blue 280E model Mercedes in a Park Lane car pound, where it had been towed at 0330 BST 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. | 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 at 0125 BST to deal with a separate incident. | Officers had been alerted to the first bomb by an ambulance crew who had been called to Tiger Tiger nightclub at 0125 BST 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. | 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 later manually disabled the device, preventing what police sources said could have been "carnage". | Bomb experts later manually disabled the device, preventing what police sources said could have been "carnage". |
| Scotland Yard declined to comment on reports a mobile phone that may have been intended to trigger the explosion was found in the Mercedes. | Scotland Yard declined to comment on reports a mobile phone that may have been intended to trigger the explosion was found in the Mercedes. |
| Mobiles have been used to detonate bombs in Iraq and Indonesia and in other terror attacks, such as the 2004 Madrid bombings. | 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. | Both cars have been taken away for forensic examination. |
| The attempted car bombings have echoes of other foiled terror plots in the UK. | The attempted car bombings have echoes of other foiled terror plots in the UK. |
| 'Significant timing' | 'Significant timing' |
| Five men were jailed for life in April for a bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that planned to use a fertiliser bomb to target a shopping centre and a nightclub. | Five men were jailed for life in April for a bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that planned to use a fertiliser bomb to target a shopping centre and a nightclub. |
| The second Mercedes in Park Lane also contained explosive materials | 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 said the Haymarket incident "resonated" with previous cases. | DAC Clarke said the Haymarket incident "resonated" with previous cases. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Return to top | Return to top |