London bombs may have been made from household chemicals

The suicide bombers who carried out last week's attacks in London may have used household chemicals to make their explosives.

Most commentators had previously thought that military-grade explosives were used due to the severity of the blasts and the small size of the bombs used.

However, sources have told the media that an explosive substance called acetone peroxide was found during a raid on a house in Leeds linked to the bombers.

The substance, also known as Mother of Satan due to its instability, contains ingredients that can be obtained from cleaning products, hair bleach and nail varnish remover.

The compound was used by the shoe bomber Richard Reid in his failed attempt to down a US-bound passenger jet over the Atlantic Ocean in 2001.