Police seek driver of bomb lorry
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.THE IDENTITY of the driver who put a lorry carrying two tons of terrorist high explosives aboard a ferry to Lancashire may be disclosed by forensic examination of the vehicle, police said yesterday.
As police hunted for the bomb team amid tightened security at ports, detectives said the lorry, seized at Heysham ferry terminal on Tuesday, was unlikely to be 'clean' of clues.
The white, flatbed Leyland Freighter had made the passage from Warrenpoint terminal, Co Down, without a driver, a common practice. It was to have been collected at Heysham by another driver, and positioned at a target for detonation after the addition of a detonator and a small quantity of commercial explosive.
The Royal Ulster Constabulary said the explosive mixture, based on fertiliser, was too bulky to have escaped detection in Northern Ireland. The bomb was probably made and packed in concealed compartments on the lorry in the Irish Republic. Warrenpoint is the closest ferry terminal to the Co Down border.
The explosives had the potential to cause damage unprecedented in Britain. The mixture was unstable and would have been used within a short time after its arrival, almost certainly in London.
The lorry crossed on the Merchant Ferries vessel Bravery. Lancashire Police said its interception was the result of routine checks at Heysham. Whoever meant to meet the lorry probably fled at the sight of the blanket security operation.
A bomb exploded outside the home of Sam McCartney, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, in Loup, Co Tyrone, yesterday. No one was injured.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments