Car bomb sparks London terror alert » Central Government » 24dash.com

The threat of terror returned to London today when a car bomb was found in the heart of the capital.

Bomb squad officers defused the "potentially viable" device after police received reports of a suspicious vehicle in the early hours.

A police source said the bomb was a "big device" that posed a substantial threat to the area surrounding the Haymarket where it was found, yards from Piccadilly Circus.

One witness said the car crashed into bins on the pavement before the driver ran off, raising fears of a failed suicide bomb.

A propane gas canister, the type used in patio heaters, was later removed from the rear seat of the Mercedes saloon, another witness said.

Unconfirmed reports said a large number of nails, sometimes used as potentially deadly shrapnel in home-made bombs, were seen inside the vehicle.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the incident reminded us that Britain faces "a serious and continuous threat" and the public "need to be alert" at all times.

He said: "I will stress to the Cabinet that the vigilance must be maintained over the next few days."

Speaking in her first full day in the job, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "What I think is very important is that the public remain vigilant at all times.

"Obviously the police are investigating and I think we should allow them to get on with that without undue speculation."

A police cordon has been thrown around the Haymarket in the heart of the capital's busy West End, causing massive disruption to thousands of rush-hour commuters.

Forensic officers supervised the removal of the metallic light-green Mercedes saloon in a covered transporter lorry.

The vehicle is a potential mine of evidence, including possible DNA traces and fingerprints, as well as its DVLA ownership history.

Detectives will be poring over CCTV footage from the area surrounding the Haymarket and interviewing witnesses, including staff from nearby nightclub Tiger, Tiger.

Congestion charge cameras, which recognise number plates and run 24 hours a day, will be able to track the route of the vehicle into the capital.

The alert came almost two years since four suicide bombers brought carnage to London's transport network, claiming the lives of 52 innocent people on July 7.

Police said they were alerted shortly before 2am today to reports of a suspicious vehicle.

One witness told Sky News that the car was seen being driven "erratically" before it collided with some bins or bin bags on the pavement.

The driver ran off, apparently uninjured by the minor collision, which did not damage the vehicle. The lights of the car were left on.

Police used a remote-controlled vehicle to investigate the car before bomb squad officers made the device safe.

Dozens of forensic officers then pored over the crime scene, which was covered by a blue plastic police tent. The number plates of the car were covered in cardboard.

Scotland Yard said detectives from Counter Terrorism Command were investigating the potential bomb plot.

Intelligence sources in London said they were keeping an open mind on who was responsible.

"All options, including the Irish, are open at this stage," said the source.

The Government's emergency response committee, Cobra, met this morning at official rather than ministerial level before briefing the Cabinet on the dramatic events.

The current threat level for terrorism in the UK, set by MI5, is ed as "severe", one level lower than the highest "critical".

Transport for London said Piccadilly Underground station had been closed. Police said The Haymarket might remain closed all day.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said ministers were informed of the incident in the early hours. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it was "very saddening" but "these things happen".

Defence Secretary Des Browne told BBC Radio Scotland: "It does appear to be a very serious incident.

"My first reaction to this is, thank God that we have police and explosives experts who can make these devices safe, and the arrangements they appear to have done, and that nobody has been injured."

Security experts said the bomb could have been timed to coincide with the change at the top of Government.

Michael Clarke, Professor of Defence at King's College London, said whoever was behind the intended attack would have left a lot of information at the scene which would help police track them down.

He said security services would now be concerned that the bomb may be part of a wider plot, and that there could be other devices planted around the capital.

"They will find out about this very quickly," he said.

"Any car coming into central London would be on a lot of surveillance footage. Also nobody can make a bomb without leaving behind a lot of DNA."

Prof Clarke said it was almost certain the bomb was intended to detonate today.

"It's my belief that whatever this bomb was for, it was intended to be used today.

"If it's a more sophisticated Jihadi plot then there might be other devices.

"What will be worrying the security services at the moment is whether this is just the tip of a bigger plot."

Copyright Press Association 2007.

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