Mail bomb sent to British MEP
A LETTER bomb caught fire at the offices of a senior British MEP yesterday, but no-one was hurt.
It was addressed to Gary Titley, leader of the UK Labour members and was opened by a member of his staff in his office in Radcliffe in Greater Manchester.
It was the third confirmed device targeted on Euro-MPs and the first known to have been sent to the UK.
Italian anarchists are believed to be behind the campaign.
Mr Titley said: "This morning a member of my staff opened a package addressed to me and it immediately caught fire.
"Thankfully no one was physically injured, though obviously this was a shocking incident.
"There can be no justification for these attacks, which in reality are an attack on democracy."
Commenting on the suggestion it had come from an Italian anarchist group, Mr Titley said: "Quite why they've targeted non-Italian politicians is not yet clear. But I understand leaders of the main political parties have received these devices."
At least two other letter bombs were sent to European Parliament headquarters in Brussels - addressed to German and Spanish political leaders.
All three were similar, concealed in books in brown envelopes.
They were all posted on December 22 in Bologna - departure point for earlier letter bombs to senior EU officials wh ich have been claimed by previously- un-known Italian anarchists targeting "the new European political order".
The latest packages to turn up in Brussels appear to have passed through European Parliament security screening operations before the earlier devices alerted staff to a Bologna-based threat.
They were then despatched to the offices of the relevant MEPs where they remained during the fortnight-long Christmas break.
One, which was opened by a staff member, was addressed to the leader of the centreright European People's Party, Hans-Gert Poettering.
The other, unopened, device, was sent to the head of the Spanish conservatives, Jose Ignacio Salafranca.
Previous letter bombs were sent to European Commission President Romano Prodi at his Bologna home, to the head of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Jean-Claude Trichet and to the offices of
Eurpol, an EU police data-gathering centre based in The Hague, in Holland.
European Parl iament spokesman David Harley said a security review was under way.
"The Belgian police are now working with our security services to re-scan the tens of thousands of packages which have been sent to the European Parliament in recent weeks.
"We are relieved that no one was hurt or injured. We are concerned that out of the tens of thousands of packages received in recent weeks one or two have apparently slipped through the security net.
"We will be carrying out an inquiry later today to assess what further security measures may be required. We are confident but not complacent that the situation can be returned to normal as soon as possible."
Europe Minister Dr Denis MacShane said: "The need to unite against transnational terrorism aimed at destroying democracy is more urgent than ever."
AngleseyHouse badly damaged on Anglesey in early hours fire
Five crews were called to the property on Cadnant Road, Menai Bridge