Irish dissidents blamed for city blast

Police believe an Irish dissident group was responsible for a suspected bomb blast in Birmingham last night.

A spokeswoman stressed the incident was not connected to the September 11 terror attacks.

A coded warning was given but it was was too late for the device to be deactivated and the area evacuated.

No-one was injured and police inquires are underway.

Passers-by described what appeared to be a powdered substance coming from the back of the car, sparking fears of an anthrax attack.

Chief Inspector Ellie Bird, of West Midlands Police, said that two or three police officers were decontaminated as a precaution before it became apparent that the bomb was the work of an Irish dissident group.

The officer added that anti-terrorist experts from the Metropolitan Police and army bomb disposal specialists were today at the scene, which has been cordoned off.

Ms Bird said: ‘‘Early indications are that this is the work of an Irish dissident group. There are no connections with events in America.’’

Birmingham was the target of one of the worst atrocities of the Provisional IRA when 17 people were killed in a bombing in 1974.

No group has admitted responsibility for last night’s blast although suspicions are likely to fall on the Real IRA.

The bomb appeared to have caused minimal damage despite being detonated in the heart of the city, close to theatres, nightclubs, bars and restaurants.

The car, which was not totally destroyed, was believed to have been a black Audi.

It is understood that the bombers used a recognised codeword, when warning of the impending blast.

The telephoned warning was not made to police and officers declined to comment on who had received it.

Ms Bird said: ‘‘We are very relieved that there have been no serious injuries. There were people in the area as this is a very busy part of Birmingham city centre.’’

She said a 1,000-metre cordon had been placed around the blast site, adding: ‘‘Until we are satisfied that it’s safe, it will remain sealed off.

‘‘It would appear that the damage has been very minimal with damage to the vehicle itself only.

‘‘There were no injuries to members of the public.

‘‘The warning didn’t give the police sufficient time to take positive action and to evacuate the area. It’s very fortunate that there have been no casualties.

Ms Bird said police were now conducting a thorough investigation into the explosion.

The blast came just hours after politicians in Northern Ireland found a way to rescue the peace process, which was thrown into disarray when David Trimble failed to be re-elected as the province’s first minister.

Members of the cross-community Alliance Party have decided to re-designate themselves as Unionists in a bid to save the Good Friday Agreement.

A new vote will be held tomorrow.

The Real IRA is considered by security chiefs as the main dissident threat to the peace process.

Its most notorious atrocity was the Omagh bombing, but has also claimed responsibility for a number of other attacks on the British mainland.

On August 15 1998 the Real IRA carried out the Omagh bombing killing 29 people in a busy town in Co Tyrone.

It was the worst atrocity in 30 years of violence, killing more people in a single explosion than any other.

One of the dead was a mother expecting twins - and 370 were injured. Another 2,000 people, many of them suffering mental trauma, have also needed medical treatment.

Since Omagh the group is believed to have been responsible for a number of incidents, including:

Feb 6 2000 : Bomb attack on Mahon Hotel, Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh.

Feb 25 2000: A device found at a perimeter fence at Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry.

Feb 29 2000: Fully primed rocket launcher found close to military base in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

June 1 2000 : Bomb attack on Hammersmith Bridge, the first by the Real IRA on the British mainland.

June 20 2000: Explosives found in the grounds of Northern Ireland Secretary’s residence at Hillsborough, Co Down.

July 9 2000: A 250lb car bomb attack on Stewartstown RUC station.

July 19 2000: Bomb attack on railway line near Ealing Broadway station, west London.

Sep 12 2000: Soldier escapes unhurt when an 80lb bomb fails to explode at a military site at Magilligan, Co Londonderry.

Sep 20 2000: ROG-22 rocket attack on MI6 headquarters in London.

Mar 3 2001: Taxi packed with high explosives explodes outside BBC Television centre in Shepherd’s Bush, London.

April 14 2001: A small explosion detonates at a sorting office in Hendon, north London.

August 3 2001: Eleven people were injured when a Saab saloon blew up in a street bustling with young people in Ealing, west London.

November 3 2001: An explosive device destroys a car in the city centre of Birmingham.