The Finchley Road bombings occurred on 2 October 1993, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated three time bombs on Finchley Road in north London, England. Telephoned warnings were sent six minutes beforehand, at approximately 00:26 UTC, but five people were injured from falling glass as a result of the blasts, and damage was caused to some shops and flats in the surrounding area. The three bombs were planted outside a Domino's Pizza restaurant, a travel agent, and offices of the St. Pancras Building Society. Later, anti-terrorist officers discovered and subsequently safely detonated a fourth bomb in a controlled environment, 1 mile (1.6km) north of the initial bombings, in Golders Green. Two days later, on 4 October, the IRA detonated four more bombs in north London, two in Tottenham Lane and two more in Archway Road resulting in four injuries.
The bombings were branded as "cowardly" by Home SecretaryMichael Howard. They were the first IRA bombings in the capital for over five months. Following the bombings, the IRA phoned a Dublinradio station claiming responsibility for the attack.
At 00:20 UTC on 2 October 1993, a telephone warning was sent to a Domino's Pizza on Finchley Road, a major dual carriageway in north London.[9] Six minutes later, at 00:26, one bomb was detonated outside the Domino's Pizza restaurant.[7] At 00:30, another bomb was detonated outside a travel agency and the final bomb was detonated outside the offices of the St. Pancras Building Society.[7][10] The three blasts injured four men and one woman in their twenties, with all injuries caused by from falling glass.[11][12] Police sealed off Finchley Road from Swiss Cottage to West End Lane.[7] A fourth bomb was then found and subsequently defused by anti-terrorism officers a mile upwards of Finchley Road in Golders Green.[13] All of the bombs had been placed in doorways.[13] As a result of the blasts, dozens of shops were damaged.[7] Following the bombing, the IRA phoned a Dublin radio station and claimed responsibility for the attacks.[8]
Investigation and aftermath
Home Secretary Michael Howard branded the attacks as "cowardly and contemptible".[8] Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Tony Buchanan called the attack "murderous", citing that there had been "no opportunity whatever to effect an evacuation". He also condemned the telephone warnings as "totally inadequate" claiming that there was "every possibility a large number of people could've been seriously injured".[10] The five people injured were sent to the Royal Free Hospital, and discharged the next day. The IRA said the bombings had been carried out by a number of active service units.[5] On 2 October, police confirmed the locations of the bombings, and also noted that the effects of the bombings could have been much worse had it not been for a bus arriving early to collect passengers.[10] On 4 October, police issued an artist's impression of a suspect for the blast, whom was said to be wearing a duffel coat-type garment with distinctive yellow bands around it.[14]
Vincent, John (2 October 1993). "Four injured as bomb blasts hit Finchley Road". The Times. p.1. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021– via The Times Digital Archive. AT LEAST four people were injured when three bombs exploded early this morning in Finchley Road, near Swiss Cottage, northwest London.