SA link to London attacks
2005-07-13 07:19
Johannesburg - Two vehicles believed to be linked to Thursday's bombings in London were found in a Luton car park and at a home belonging to a South African woman living in Leeds' Dewsbury area for more than 20 years, The Star newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The bombing killed at least 52 people and injured 700 others.
The woman, whose name is known to The Star, originally hails from Germiston and was married to a British national who died a few years ago, the newspaper reported.
Yusuf Abramjee, the head of news and talk programming for Primedia Broadcasting, was at the scene while police searched the South African woman's home.
He told The Star that the police's investigation was believed to centre around either the woman's son or son-in-law, both of whom lived with her but were not home during the raid at her house on Tuesday.
A Dewsbury resident who spoke to The Star from the area on Tuesday night, said the South African woman was a "strong community worker."
"She does a lot of work with schools and old-age homes in the area, organising trips for aged residents. She went to a garden party hosted by Queen Elizabeth in recognition of her community work," said the man, who did not want to be identified, the newspaper reported.
According to the article, in the search for the bombers, British police searched six Yorkshire houses, including the homes of three of the four men they suspect carried out the attacks.
The newspaper reported that police arrested one man during the raids on Tuesday, uncovered what they said was "dangerous" material and seized two vehicles which they believed was linked to the bombing.
Three bombs exploded within 50 seconds of each other on sub-way trains that had all passed through King's Cross station. A fourth exploded 57 minutes later on a bus not far away.
Leeds has a Muslim population of around 30 000 - one of the largest in Britain, with the area's residents "shocked" by Tuesday's raids and fearing an anti-Muslim backlash, The Star said.
- SAPA