4 March 2001 BBC bombing
Encyclopedia
At 12:30 AM on Sunday 4 March 2001, the Real IRA detonated a car bomb
outside the BBC
's main news centre within BBC Television Centre
, on Wood Lane
in the White City
area of West London.
Between ten and twenty pounds of high explosive had been placed in a red taxi
that had been purchased on the morning of 3 March in Edmonton
, north London, and abandoned yards from the main front door of BBC Television Centre at 11 PM. Police officers were attempting to carry out a controlled explosion
on the bomb with a bomb-disposal robot when it went off. Staff had already been evacuated after police received a coded warning that had been given to a London hospital and charity one hour before the explosion. There were no fatalities, though one London Underground
worker suffered cuts to his eye caused by glass debris.
As the explosion happened just after midnight, some reports of the incident say that it happened on 3 March rather than 4 March.
BBC cameras caught the moment of the explosion and the resulting damage - which included numerous smashed windows in the front entrance - was seen as day broke.
The bomb was part of a Real IRA bombing campaign which would also include the Ealing bombing
of 3 August 2001 and an attempted bombing in Birmingham
city centre on 3 November 2001. Later in November, three men - Noel Maguire, Robert Hulme, and his brother Aiden Hulme - were arrested in connection with all three bomb attacks. They were convicted at the Old Bailey
on 8 April 2003, together with two other men - James McCormack, of County Louth
, and John Hannan, of Newtownbutler
, County Fermanagh
, both of whom had already admitted the charge at an earlier hearing. The Hulme brothers were both jailed for 20 years; Maguire, who the judge said played "a major part in the bombing conspiracy", was sentenced to 22 years; McCormack, who the judge said had played the most serious part of the five, also received 22 years; and Hannan, who was 17 at the time of the incidents, was given 16 years' detention.
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
outside the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's main news centre within BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
, on Wood Lane
Wood Lane
Wood Lane is a street in London. It runs north from Shepherd's Bush, under the Westway past Wormwood Scrubs where it meets Scrubs Lane. The road is wholly in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham...
in the White City
White City, London
White City is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, to the north of Shepherd's Bush. Today, White City is home to the BBC Television Centre and BBC White City, and Loftus Road stadium, the home of football club Queens Park Rangers FC....
area of West London.
Between ten and twenty pounds of high explosive had been placed in a red taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
that had been purchased on the morning of 3 March in Edmonton
Edmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
, north London, and abandoned yards from the main front door of BBC Television Centre at 11 PM. Police officers were attempting to carry out a controlled explosion
Controlled explosion
A controlled explosion is a method for detonating or disabling a suspected explosive device.Methods which are used to set off a controlled explosion include emptying out the area and moving the package into a confined space such as a telephone booth.Another classic method of controlled explosion...
on the bomb with a bomb-disposal robot when it went off. Staff had already been evacuated after police received a coded warning that had been given to a London hospital and charity one hour before the explosion. There were no fatalities, though one London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
worker suffered cuts to his eye caused by glass debris.
As the explosion happened just after midnight, some reports of the incident say that it happened on 3 March rather than 4 March.
BBC cameras caught the moment of the explosion and the resulting damage - which included numerous smashed windows in the front entrance - was seen as day broke.
The bomb was part of a Real IRA bombing campaign which would also include the Ealing bombing
3 August 2001 Ealing bombing
On 3 August 2001 the Real IRA detonated a car bomb containing 45kg of explosives in Ealing Broadway, West London, England, injuring seven people. Debris caused by the bomb spread more than 200m...
of 3 August 2001 and an attempted bombing in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
city centre on 3 November 2001. Later in November, three men - Noel Maguire, Robert Hulme, and his brother Aiden Hulme - were arrested in connection with all three bomb attacks. They were convicted at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
on 8 April 2003, together with two other men - James McCormack, of County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and John Hannan, of Newtownbutler
Newtownbutler
Newtownbutler or Newtown Butler is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the southeast corner of the County, close to the border with County Monaghan and the town of Clones. It is surrounded by small lakes and bogland and close to Lough Erne...
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
, both of whom had already admitted the charge at an earlier hearing. The Hulme brothers were both jailed for 20 years; Maguire, who the judge said played "a major part in the bombing conspiracy", was sentenced to 22 years; McCormack, who the judge said had played the most serious part of the five, also received 22 years; and Hannan, who was 17 at the time of the incidents, was given 16 years' detention.
See also
- List of terrorist incidents
- List of terrorist incidents in Great Britain British mainland only - excludes Northern Ireland
- List of terrorist incidents in London