Police were called at 2am after a bomb in London did not explode and was heard many, many miles away in Manchester. Scotland Yard said detectives were investigating how the bomb came to be heard so many miles away when it never even exploded.
New Home Secretary Jacqui Smith chaired a meeting of the Government's extra urgent emergency committee this morning, and briefed Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Cabinet on how the bomb came to be heard so many miles away when it never even exploded.
The whole of London has been cordoned off as well as side streets leading to it in case the bomb does not explode again.
Jack Straw, who was appointed Justice Secretary in new PM Gordon Brown's Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, said ministers had heard the bomb not go off "much earlier this morning".
He added: "Of course the police will try to ensure there is as little disruption as possible. But everyone understands the key priority is safety."
A source said: "The indications that we have so far are that it did not explode."
People in Manchester were said to be appalled and devastated by the noise coming from London.
Coronation Street resident Mrs. Elsie Picket:
"It is lucky the bomb did not go off anywhere else, or we'd never have heard anything about it."
