Two men appeared at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court yesterday, charged in connection with explosions in London and Birmingham which anti-terrorist police believe were carried out by the "Real IRA".
Mr Robert Hulme (22) and Mr Noel Maguire (32) spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth at the high-security court complex in south-east London, where they appeared on charges of causing several bomb explosions and firearms offences.
Mr Maguire, arrested in north London last Thursday, is charged with causing the car bomb explosion at Ealing, west London, on August 3rd, which injured seven people and resulted in substantial damage to nearby property, as well as the taxi bomb explosion outside BBC television headquarters in west London on March 3rd.
Mr Hulme was arrested in Liverpool while boarding a ferry bound for Dublin last Thursday. He is charged with causing an explosion in Birmingham on November 3rd when a car bomb partially detonated. He is charged with possessing explosives and with firearms offences in connection with a power timer unit, a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver, ammunition, a grenade and three detonators, which were found by anti-terrorist police at a disused pig farm in West Yorkshire last week.
Both men were also charged with conspiracy to cause explosions. No application was made for bail. The deputy senior district judge, Mr Timothy Workman, remanded them in custody at Belmarsh prison. They will appear at the Old Bailey on November 29th.
Three other men who were being questioned by anti-terrorist police in London have been released on bail in relation to forgery and fraud offences.