Hunt for pock-marked bomb suspect

Police are hunting a man with a pock-marked face who bought the car used in the Ealing bomb attack, detectives said today.

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Police are hunting a man with a pock-marked face who bought the car used in the Ealing bomb attack, detectives said today.

The car had been purchased at Green Lane in Ilford, east London, said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry.

It also emerged that the car, a grey Saab 9000 with the registration E304 HPY, was reported as abandoned in Ealing on Monday, but police took no action because it had not been reported stolen nor was suspected of being involved in terrorism.

Police also described how they were given just 27 minutes to locate and deal with the bomb which went off injuring seven people.

Assistant Commissioner David Veness described the attack as a "callous, potentially murderous crime committed with total disregard for the safety of potential victims".

He said the explosion which went off close to busy pubs in the West London suburb was "reckless in the extreme".

"Twenty seven minutes was given by the terrorists between the call which was first made to a third party and the explosion which took place a few seconds after midnight," he added.

Mr Fry said: "We are very fortunate we are not dealing in mass murder."

The man who bought the car is described as white, clean-shaven, in his mid-30s, around 5ft 11in with pitted skin, mousy hair and a light Northern Irish accent.