By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Within hours of taking over as Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown found himself dealing with the issue of terrorism following the discovery early Friday of a car bomb that, if it had exploded, would have caused a "carnage" in central London.
The car, a green metallic Mercedes, was packed with 60 litres of petrol, gas cylinders and nails. It was parked in Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of London.
Police have not yet mentioned suspects but experts believe that this kind of car bomb was found more often in Iraq and the Middle East.
The incident comes two days after Brown took over as Britain's 52nd prime minister and within days of the second anniversary of the July 7 London bombings in which 52 people died and more than 700 were injured.
The car was discovered when an ambulance crew spotted smoke coming out from it. A controlled explosion was then carried out on it. The ambulance had been called to a nearby nightclub – where up to 1,700 people were inside – for someone who had taken ill inside. They called the police after seeing the smoke, now believed to be vapour, inside the car.
Normal life was thrown out of gear as security officials isolated the area for investigations. The normally bustling Park lane was closed from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner and a 200m cordon put in place. A part of Oxford Street was also affected.
Brown, who held a series of meetings on the issue, said the incident once again reflected "a serious and continuous threat" that Britain faced, and urged the people to be vigilant at all times. Police patrols in London have been stepped up.
Without naming possible suspects, officials in Whitehall said that "international elements" were involved in the car bomb, and added that detailed investigations were on. A clearer assessment is expected to be reached by Saturday.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said: "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life."
He said it was too early to say who was responsible but the incident "resonated" with previous terrorist plots. "The threat from terrorism is real. It is here, enduring. Life must go on but we must all stay alert," he said and specifically mentioned nightclubs as a potential target.
The Muslim Council of Britain urged the people to help the police find the perpetrators.
Secretary-General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, said: "It is now a duty upon all the rest of us to help the police so that they can bring whoever was involved in this plot swiftly to justice".
Police officials said that forensic officers had examined the site and the car was taken to the Forensics Explosives Laboratory in Kent for further tests. The Counter Terrorism Command of Scotland Yard is checking the CCTV in the area.
A police spokesman said: "Police were called to reports of a suspicious vehicle parked in Haymarket, shortly before 2 a.m. this morning. As a precautionary measure the immediate area was cordoned off while the vehicle was examined by explosives officers.
"They discovered what appeared to be a potentially viable explosive device. This was made safe."