22/02/2007

More time to question letter bomb suspect

Police have been granted a further 24 hours to continue questioning a school caretaker arrested in connection with the recent series of letter bomb attacks in the UK.

Police have until 4pm on Thursday to continue questioning Miles Cooper.

Mr Cooper, 27, was arrested at his home in Cherry Hinton near Cambridge on Monday afternoon.

Mr Cooper works as a caretaker at Teversham Church of England Primary School. Police have now completed a search at the school, while a search continues at his home. This search is expected to last for around a week.

Nine people have been injured by seven letter bombs, which have been sent to a number of business addresses in the UK since mid-January.

Police believe that all the devices are linked. The bombs are understood to have been homemade pyrotechnic-style devices contained in A5 jiffy bags. At least two of the devices contained glass. Police have warned that other packages containing explosives could still be in the postal system.

Among the addresses targeted were three forensic science laboratories, Capita in London, which runs the capital's congestion charge, and the DVLA in Swansea.

(KMcA)

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