Tip-off led to nail bomb arrest in court

A MAN aged 22 appeared in court yesterday charged with planting the London nail bombs that killed three people and injured 117.

David Copeland, an engineer, faces three murder charges and three counts of causing explosions likely to endanger life. He spoke briefly at West London magistrates' court, to confirm his name, age and address.

Sue Taylor, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that Mr Copeland faced charges in connection with the Brixton bomb, which left 45 people injured on 17 April; the Brick Lane bomb, which left seven people injured on 24 April, and Friday night's explosion in the Admiral Duncan pub, Soho, in which three people died and 65 were injured.

She added: "He was arrested as a result of a phone call from a member of the public."

Mr Copeland wore a blue, short-sleeved polo shirt and blue tracksuit bottoms during the hearing, which lasted about four minutes. He was remanded in custody to reappear at Bow Street magistrates' court on 10 May. There was no application for bail.

He arrived at the court in Hammersmith, west London, in an armoured car with blacked-out windows, escorted by police on motorcycles. He was remanded to Belmarsh prison in south-east London.

Nineteen victims of the Soho bombing remained in hospital yesterday, six of whom were in a critical condition and the remaining 13 were described as "stable". The Prince of Wales visited the bomb-damaged district of Soho yesterday and said: "The British never get put down by these things."

Scotland Yard has said that the bombings were not linked to any Right- wing or neo-Nazi group.

The accused man's father, Stephen Copeland, speaking at his home in Yateley, Hampshire, said: "The whole family is just unbelievably devastated. It cracks me up to think about it at the moment.

"Myself and my family totally condemn the cowardly and barbaric bombing carried out in London in the last few weeks. Our heartfelt thoughts and sympathies go out to the families of the bereaved and those injured who are grieving at this time. We cannot begin to imagine how terrible the families of the killed and injured must be feeling."

Further reports, page 7