Police hunt post office bombers

Forensic experts are carrying out a fingertip search of a postal sorting office where a suspected terrorist bomb exploded.

Saturday night's blast in north London is believed to be the work of the dissident Irish republican terror group the Real IRA.

The device, packed with high explosives, blew out windows at the Post Office delivery depot.

No one was injured and damage to the two storey red brick building in The Hyde, Hendon, is said to be minor.

But the depot is near a pub and the busy Edgware Road and the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry, said at the scene: "Whoever planted this device had no thought to the damage or injuries he may have caused."

Police did not receive a coded warning before the device detonated, he added.

"A high explosive device was placed outside the sorting office in a bricked-up former doorway," Mr Fry said.

"It exploded at 11.28pm.

"We believe it contained between half and one pound of high explosives, which was a similar size to the device at Hammersmith Bridge in June last year.

"Minor damage was caused to the building.

"No threats were made. We suspect it was the work of the Real IRA."