Following this post (crossposted here), where I suggested that the reports of smoke and a strange smell on a tube train at Vauxhall on Friday (shortly before the unfortunate shooting incident at Stockwell down the road) were the product of hysteria, I’ve had some new versons from people who were on the train.

First, Keith (at The Sharpener):

“Was in that carriage on the victoria line, the smoke and smell was getting overwhelming, and smelled like nothing ive ever smelled before – people had their hands on their face. Still, it was quite calm, all it took was one woman to scream �oh my god� and thats when it got out of control.”

Then an anonymous comment left on this blog:

“Me and my girlfriend were both on the actual carriage in Vauxhall that filled with fumes after leaving Stockwell. The operation took over three hours – significantly longer than any of the recent ‘false alarms’. The station was about to be reopened within about 20 minutes of the incident when police realised that the smell of the fumes was NOT the smell of the trains emergency brakes. They then mounted a very large security operation including bomb disposal units in contamination suits and masks. We both stayed with the police in the cordon throughout, then were moved at one point, completely out of sight into the street behind. I can say, and several other witnesses will corroborate, that our carriage definately filled with some kind of acrid chemical smelling haze, which we first tried to ignore but eventually became so strong that people began to cough. The reports of hysteria in the carriage affected are wildly exaggerated, most people managed to remain considerate and fairly calm under the circumstances. For a false alarm this was a pretty major operation, taken very seriously by the officers in the cordon. It’s absence from any news reports from that day seems a little conspicuous to me.”

Then John (also at The Sharpener):

“I was also on the carriage between Stockwell and vauxhall were the alarm was raised. Just wanted to add that I too could smell fumes and see a bluish mist that was unlike anything else I had seen or smelled on the tube. I tried to remian sceptical for as long as possible, but it became overpowering causing people to cough- at that point the �oh my god� woman pulled the alarm. There was a panic, but not nearly as bad as some have made out -at least not on that carriage. The �hysterical� woman was, obviously, very distressed but reacted faster than anyone around her in getting to the alarm and evacuating the carriage. This situation would have warranted the alarm to have been pulled regardless of any recent terrorist activity. For a journalist Nosemonkey seems to have been a little premature in dismissing this incident outright – everyone around me was independently reacting to the fumes, covering their mouths and coughing before the woman described as a �rabid spactard� actually cried out.”

Which just goes to show that there are limits to the amount of investigative journalism you can do using the interweb – which is hardly a surprise, but still.

So now we can (probably – assuming that these new accounts are reliable) revise to suggest that something did happen at Vauxhall, but no one knows precisely what.

Which then goes to make the whole thing even more confusing. Our shot innocent man was killed at Stockwell at about 10am. The incident at Vauxhall happened before that, probably between 9:15 and 9:30 (accounts on the BBC plus the fact that the train at Stockwell which was in the platform when our Brazilian electrician was killed had gone through Vauxhall without stopping). There was also, around the same time, something going on at Kennington.

As our man at Stockwell was unconnected to the ongoing police investigation, we can discount early theories that he tried to detonate a bomb at Vauxhall, then legged it overground to Stockwell (which wouldn’t have taken him that long anyway, as it’s only about a 10-15 minute walk).

So now we’re left with a confusing coincidence – the only connecting factor being that Vauxhall, Kennington and Stockwell are all centered around Oval, where one of the bombs failed to detonate on Thursday. There have also been two arrests made in Stockwell over the last few days in connection with the bombings (although I believe one of those arrested has since been released).

Is there any significance to this, or is it merely turning into another candidate for Private Eye�s �Conspiracy Corner�?

Otherwise known as a prime example of the problems of citizen journalism (and hysterical women)…

(This follows today’s liveblog coverage of the shooting at Stockwell and other events.)

First pondering:

“I find it strange there aren’t many press stories about an incident at Vauxhall. My colleague was on the tube and a rucksack had smoke coming out of it and the station was evacuated, with according to him people fighting each other to get out first. It’s on the BBC’s ‘have your say’ feature, but not mentioned anywhere else, except the Sydney Morning Herald, bizarrely.”

Here’s the BBC’s page in question, first:

“I was on the Victoria Line tube going north this morning at about 9.15. In the tunnel between Stockwell and Vauxhall we all noticed a distinct burning smell coming from a carriage in front of us (the middle of the train).”

And again:

“I was at Vauxhall this morning and I’d like to thank a man in a Fantastic Four T-Shirt for keeping me calm when everyone got panicky.”

And again, contradicting the first one slightly:

“I was at Vauxhall in the middle carriage and I heard shouting and screaming coming from the end carriage. I was standing by the door, so people pushed me off the train and I fell to the floor. People were trampling on me to get to the exit.”

And another:

“I was on the Victoria line tube this morning that was evacuated at about 9.20am. A girl I spoke to outside the station afterwards told me how she was in a carriage closer to the middle of the train than mine, and heard someone shout to pull the emergency alarm. She then saw smoke in the carriage and along with all the other passengers, rushed to try to get into the next carriage whilst the train was still moving. When the doors opened at Vauxhall everyone just legged it off the train.”

Then more confusion:

“I was on the tube at Vauxhall this morning at around 9.15am when all of a sudden people started screaming and running to get out. There was real panic and I thought another bomb had gone off but didn’t hear or see anything except screaming.”

And a more logical-sounding account:

“I was on a Victoria line tube at about 9.20am having got on at Vauxhall. The tube was just about to leave when somebody started screaming. I later found out they thought they could smell something funny. I’m not sure if there was any more to it than that but panic followed.”

Another bit of hearsay:

“A colleague was at Vauxhall this morning and there was a package in the carriage next to theirs of the tube, which exploded, with smoke everywhere.”

Then another account, this time from outside the station:

“this morning, on my way back in from a run, vauxhall station, a 10 minute walk from my flat, was cordoned off and people weren’t allowed to use the above ground trains.”

Finally, here’s something that professes to be an eyewitness blogger account of the Kennington tube evacuation, Stockwell standoff with police and aftermath of Vauxhall (although I’m not overly convinced of the authenticity):

“The whole of Vauxhall roundabout was cordoned off. Traffic was at a standstill. The roads were all taped off. People were standing beside their cars chatting on mobile phones. There were even army officers in camouflage gear.”

Lots of confirmation that something happened. Lots of different accounts. And you know what? Despite all this information, all these different pairs of eyes and ears and nostrils, do we know what actually took place? Do we bollocks.

Well, until you find something like this, that is:

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- There was a security alert at Vauxhall station in south London Friday, BBC television reported.

However, the alert later turned out to be a false alarm, the BBC said later.

In other words, only Auntie knows.

One person witnessing a worrying incident will rarely be calm enough to give a complete account. When there are crowds, they start talking to each other, and in the confusion mistake other people’s experiences for their own. It’s a form of shock-induced hysteria, and perfectly understandable. It does, however, make eyewitness accounts rather less valuable than has been made out over the last couple of weeks.

Likewise, one guy sitting behind his computer in an office (i.e. me, or any other liveblogger of events like these) can never muster the necessary resources to ensure accuracy. Liveblogging is little more than an electronic form of the person in the crowd who passes on rumours – and panic. And although “citizen journalists”, thanks to these limitations, are even more untrustworthy than the big media (even the scaremongering, scoop-hungry likes of Sky and Fox), yet other citizens are far too quick to trust the words of their fellows. Which is precisely why today I was asked by a work colleague “did you hear about the suicide bomber they shot at Canary Wharf on the 7th?” – a (false) rumour which appeared to spread from this very blog.

The short version of the Vauxhall incident?

Someone thought they smelt something, got hysterical and caused a stampede. It was nothing, but thanks to the lightning pace of internet rumour – and the fact that more and more people are turning to the internet (including blogs like this) for information when these things happen – it very nearly ended up fuelling a whole slew of conspiracy theories. Hell, it probably still will…

Bear this all in mind the next time one of these things kicks off. And for fuck’s sake, if you’re on the tube and smell something funny, ask someone calmly if they can smell it too before you start screaming like a rabid spacktard and causing a stampede.

(Also posted at The Sharpener)

UPDATED

(Original title: Clapham Junction alert)

One of the biggest overland rail interchanges in the country. That’d fuck up quite a bit…

More to follow.

10:40 – Not Clapham – Sky News reporting police have shot a suspected suicide bomber near Stockwell tube station after a train was evactuated.

This is, however, coming from Sky, so don’t believe anything yet.

10:44 – reports of a gunfight between a suspected bomber from yesterday and police. Sounds a tad Wild West…

Here’s the Sky breaking news thing

10:45 – BBC confirm train evacuation, say “shots reportedly fired”

10:48 – all reports of a shooting seem to have come from Sky. If they’re making this up they’re a bunch of dicks.

10:49 – Sky speculation goes into overdrive – “If the suspect is confirmed to be a suicide bomber, it would mark the fifth attempted terrorist attack on London in less than a day.”

Yep – because the police are REALLY likely to shoot someone who’s strapped to a load of explosives, aren’t they? Almost certainly one of the morons from yesterday they’d tracked down. (Says Nosemonkey, indulging in exactly the kind of speculation he just accused Sky of…)

10:52 – Reuters still not confirming, BBC yet to get a page up, although train evacuation is still in their ticker tape.

10:58 – BBC page up:

Passenger Briony Coetsee said: “We were on the Tube and then we suddenly heard someone say, ‘Get out, get out’ and then we heard gunshots.”

11:01 – Sky explain their speculation – “Police have been given orders to shoot to kill if they believe someone is about to detonate a bomb.”

Hmmm… Could be fair enough, I suppose.

Still no confirmation of anything else though.

11:02 – Met Police confirm someone has been shot – five times.

11:03 – via the BBC – “Passenger Mark Whitby told BBC News he had seen an Asian man shot five times by “plain-clothes police officers”.

“Mr Whitby, told BBC News: “I saw an Asian guy run onto the train hotly pursued by three plain-clothes police officers.

“One of them was carrying a black handgun – it looked like an automatic – they pushed him to the floor, bundled on top of him and unloaded five shots into him.”

Are you really going to push someone to the floor and shoot them FIVE times if they’re a suspected suicide bomber? Fucking risky, wouldn’t you say? This is more like execution-style…

11:06 – Victoria and Northern lines suspended, and large area around Stockwell cordoned off.

More reports of the guy being shot five times at close range. Ever heard of questioning, guys? That’s bloody ridiculous. Especially close range, if you want to kill them quickly go for a head shot, surely?

This don’t make a lick of sense…

11:09 – Also northbound Charing Cross branch train at Vauxhall? Sounds like it vaguely – police caught a guy with a rucksack, threw him against the wall and started searching him while evacuating everyone. Just the boys in blue being jumpy, or another one?

11:15 – reports of police surrounding a Mosque in east London…

11:16 – Kennington tube also evacuated, apparently. Whether as part of the general shut-down in that part of the south London tube or another incident, not too sure. All these places are relatively close together and I don’t know south of the river very well, so hard to tell. Possible – judging by early Clapham junction reports – that everyone’s a tad confused still.

Guy at Stockwell tube was shot just after 10, at any rate. No confirmation of five shots.

No further info on the Mosque in east London rumours.

11:19 – reports of something happening in Shadwell – east London, so could be the Mosque thing.

11:20 Rob Read at Time Worstall’s place reports Aldgate Mosque.

Now having confirmation – armed police around the East London Mosque on Whitechapel Road…

11:24 – Stockwell was northbound Northern line. Witnesses again mentioning rough handling. Also gunshots sounding like they were silenced. Very odd…

The man has been confirmed as dead. Shot in the head at close range.

Other incidents at Kennington and Vauxhall not confirmed, though there was something at those – possibly just scares.

Police have warned people to stay inside on Whitechapel Road by the mosque. Possible bomb threat, apparently, but no one actually knows what’s going on there. The building is surrounded by armed police though.

This sounds like a swift, co-ordinated mop-up movement to me. Dunno why they shot the guy though – doesn’t make much sense unless he really WAS about to detonate a bomb. But Stockwell’s a pretty shitty part of town to do it. Nearly as pointless as Oval.

11:31 – Highbury and Islington station also shut off. Something going on in North London as well…

11:33 – Robin Grant’s also on the case again, carrying on where he left off.

11:35 – the East London Mosque has apparently been given the all clear. Police were responding to a bomb threat – unrelated to the shooting.

Fascists, in other words. Yay.

11:37 – The Guardian have lots of eyewitness reports of the shooting. Sounds like, although this is confused, not much else is likely to happen.

The mosque thing was an entirely unrelated incident – just some small-brained racist dickhead phoning in a bomb threat after hearing Sky report another attempted suicide attack, most likely. Diverting precious police resources from hunting down the people who tried to bomb us yesterday. Nice one.

11:45 – Robin Grant at Perfect.co.uk reports via BBC News 24 eyewitness – “It looks like the guy that was shot had previously left a bag on a Victoria line train (the one I would have got this morning if I hadn�t been running late), and got off the train at Stockwell – his bomb (in a back bag) then failed to explode (more smell smoke etc) – hence the station closure at Vauxhall.”

11:56 – Lots of speculation in the comments, from SAS involvement to this being a foiled attack on the UK’s spy HQ. But there’s been no new confirmed info for a fair while now. All we know is that a man has been shot, probably dead. And that the police had better hope to buggery that he was what they thought he was.

12:04 – Scotland Yard statement – “A man was challenged by officers and subsequently shot. London Ambulance Service attended the scene. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

12:08 – More eyewitness accounts from Sky

12:11 – Victoria line is back open, which would tend to suggest that earlier reports of an attempted detonation at Vauxhall tube were nonsense – they’d need to keep it shut to get forensics in there if there’s been another failed bomb.

12:20 – BBC have a more full eyewitness account from one of the same people as before: “He [the suspect] had a baseball cap on and quite a sort of thickish coat – it was a coat you’d wear in winter, sort of like a padded jacket.

“He might have had something concealed under there, I don’t know. But it looked sort of out of place with the sort of weather we’ve been having, the sort of hot humid weather.

“He was largely built, he was quite a chubby sort of guy.

“I didn’t see any guns or anything like that – I didn’t see him carrying anything. I didn’t even see a bag to be quite honest.”

12:44 – No more info, but the BBC have a timeline. Tubes seem to be running normally again – looks like this was an isolated incident, and there’s no ongoing threat. Which is a relief.

Shame they didn’t get him alive though.

13:08 – sod this, it’s all over. I’m off to the pub. Will update again if anything new happens or more info comes to light.

14:43 – still no confirmation on anything happening at Vauxhall earlier. A few eyewitnesses report someone screaming about a smell, and a few unconfirmed reports of smoke – all shortly before the events at Stockwell. This is London has some accounts suggesting that a Victoria line train didn’t stop at Vauxhall, and went on to Stockwell, where those who had wanted to get out at the previous station got involved in the shooting incident.

Considering the guy who was shot was apparently trying to get ON the train at Stockwell, this doesn’t make too much sense. Why wouldn’t the train stop at Vauxhall uness there was some kind of incident? Curiouser and curiouser, said Nosemonkey…

14:53 – Reuters have more reports of this incident on Harrow Road in west London, which first emerged half an hour or so ago. Unfortunately their site is taking a lot of hits and can’t cope. 25 minutes ago Robin Grant noted a guy on the phone to the BBC talking baout police presence, bomb disposal units etc. This is north of Westbourne Park, south of Kilburn. North West London. Neither Sky nor BBC have anything, as yet.

14:58 – Updates from Spain, of all places. Sounds like a transcript of the guy on the phone to the BBC robin Grant mentioned. Bloomberg mentions a spokeswoman (presumably from the police) confirming the road has been cordoned off.

15:05 – More on Harrow Road: “The focus of the police operation appears to be an internet cafe on Harrow Road where two women have reportedly been removed and detained in a police van. Even with the presence of armed police and bomb disposal experts onlookers are not being pushed back which suggests the police do not feel that devices are present at the address.”

15:26 – still no more word about Harrow Road, although in the comments Sean mentions shots fired.

Sky reports the operation is focussed on a Thai restaurant. No news of shots, but reports that two women and a teenage boy have been searched.

15:34 – hearing reports of an incident at Canary Wharf as well – still no confirmation on the reports of shots at Harrow Road.

15:48 – Still nothing confirmed, even though there are reporters on the scene.

Vague thought: Best guess is that the police had a very good idea of who all the people were and were planning a co-ordinated strike, but the Stockwell guy did a runner before they were ready. Now they’re trying to mop up the dregs. That’d explain the lack of any release of descriptions over the last 24 hours – want to put them off their guard.

15:51 – odd. Police will release descriptions / CCTV footage of yesterday’s ineffective wannabe bombers later today, and are appealing for information on all four – which, as Robin Grant has noted, could suggest that the guy shot this morning wasn’t one of them. Possibly.

Here’s the first pic. With that baseball cap he looks American to me… Not the most helpful of photos, it must be said.

15:55 – Guy killed this morning was “linked to” but wasn’t actually one of yesterday’s bombers, apparently. Two more raids (in addition to Harrow Road) have been mentioned, but no locations. May or may not include the Canary Wharf arrest.

16:00 – rumours that Harrow Road may be a bomb-making factory. No idea if it’s in the Thai Restaurant or Internet Cafe though. If Thai, expect clampdowns on middle-aged sex tourists, if an internet cafe on overweight spotty 30-somethings living in their parents’ basements.

16:16 – Perfect.co.uk has the photos of yesterday’s wannabe bombers.

16:20 – God, the interweb’s being slow. Very hard to find more info. No confirmation on locations of the other two addresses being searched. And work is getting in the way of digging out more.

16:52 – Euston station is currently being evacuated, according to Europhobia’s Matt, on the scene.

17:19 – Walthamstow Central tube currently undegoing a security alert – cordons etc.

No more word on Euston. Or Harrow Road. Or anything else, really.

17:26 – there’s effectively been no new info from anywhere since the police news conference a couple of hours back. Rumours all over the shop – including another failed bomb at Vauxhall this morning, Euston closed, Walthamstow closed, Watford closed – but absolutely tit all in the way of confirmation about anything.

Seems almost like a voluntary media blackout to keep police operations secret. Which would tie in with my theory that they were planning a co-ordinated strike this morning but the guy they shot spotted them, tipped off his mates and legged it.

It’s going to make finding out how to get home for those using public transport rather interesting though…

19:00 update – In the comments Eric S reports a man arrested in Stockwell, where the shooting took place earlier today, and from where the police believe yesterday’s loser wannabe Oval bomber began his journey. This has been confirmed by police. Stockwell station is still cordoned off, and eyewitnesses from this morning’s shooting are still being quesitoned.

There has, as of yet, been no confirmation of any of the other rumours. These include incidents at Euston, Walthamstow, on a Stratford train, and outside Buckingham Palace.

The Harrow Road incident appeared to end with no arrests and nothing found. Possibly just a suspect package. But it’s still sealed off. Channel 4 News reports that CS gas was fired into a basement flat there, and later, around the corner, the two women and boy were stopped and searched.

There is also a report of an arrest in Birmingham – a man with two suitcases, but no more details as of yet.

19:50 – In the absence of any more actual information, there’s some good speculation/debate at Shot by Both Sides, including this rather fair point from dsquared: “These eyewitness accounts are just worse than useless… I think that this citizen journalism thing is running up against its limitations.”

Agreed – and that goes for blogging these things as well: a frenzied blend of unreliable eyewitness accounts, stories purporting to be from eyewitnesses that aren’t, gossip, rumour and hearsay.

And with that, an end to speculation and to posting for today. Time for the pub again, methinks.

Saturday update: The shot man was not a terrorist.

Those are the rumours so far. Warren Street smoke confirmed by an eyewitness friend of a friend so far. Updates to follow…

Bunch of cunting bastards.

Oval tube as well, apparently. Hackney Road is apparently a bus. Warren Street may be outside, Reuters reporting a nail bomb.

Shepherd’s Bush not necessarily an explosion, just “a device”.

If people have any information about today’s incidents, they are urged to contact the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.

13:52 – “Code Amber” official. Tube network being shut down. Sniffer dogs at Euston Square tube. Fire engines at University College Hospital, over the road from Euston Square, 30 seconds from Warren Street. One of the hospitals casualties from the bombings of the 7th were taken to.

The bus’ windows were blown out, but no injuries, somehow. Apparently…

13:54 – eyewitness at Warren Street says it was on a train, Victoria Line. A small rucksack explosion, while the train was pulling into the station. No indication I’ve heard of north or southbound.

Perfect.co.uk liveblogging

14:00 – Oval eyewitness reports of a man dropping a bag on the train. Area around the station being cordoned off. 15-20 police vehicles being reported. Man ran onto the train, dumped the bag and ran off again, apparently.

14:03 – all we have so far is the bus (no casualties reported), smoke at Warren Street tube, smoke at Oval tube. Nail bomb reports at Warren Street still continuing. No confirmation.

14:06 – This sounds like amateur hour again. Shoddy little devices. One injury reported at Warren Street, but no indication of how bad.

Newslinkdump: ITV
BBC
Reuters (currently down)
Guardian
Guardian Newsblog liveblog

Blair has cancelled his agenda this afternoon. In an emergecny meeting with the Safety Elephant.

Hackney bus was a No.26, but it was a pathetic little explosion. Police have cordoned it off, but aren’t approaching in case there’s a larger device which failed to detonate. Windows blown out. Device on the upper deck.

14:13 – DLR is running, most of the rest of the tube network’s a bit knackered.

Yay for cycling!

14:14 – more reports of the bomber at Oval being a fucking pussy, dumping his bag (big black rucksack) and legging it. These guys are pathetic. If you’re going to blow us up at least have the guts to blow yourself up too.

14:16 – Sky reports that armed police have entered university College Hospital. But this is coming from Sky, so take it with a pinch of salt until the BBC confirm it.

14:19 – everything is rumour. It was only 40-50 minutes ago that the first reports came in. At this stage, believe nothing.

Warren Street people in chemical protection suits according to the Associated press, but – if true – likely to just be a precaution because of the lack of any serious explosion.

14:21 – unconfirmed reports of gunshots on the platform at Warren Street.

Believe nothing until it’s on the BBC.

14:22 – looks like the mobile network’s being shut down again.

14:23 – Blair statement at 15:00

14:24 – not too sure why I dashed back early from the pub now. Sounds fairly minor so far – more of a scare than anything. Copycats? Seems a pretty poor effort at mass death and destruction at any rate…

Andrew Ian Dodge also reporting (via Tim Worstall, who may or may not be liveblogging again)

14:28 – Scotland Yard have confirmed an “incident” at University College Hospital. Unconfirmed reports of an explosion inside the hospital buildings.

Yeah – THAT’s brave, isn’t it? Blow up the sick, doctors and nurses? Brilliant…

14:33 – Sky News seems to be working but you can’t trust it for shit.

Looks like there are 3 or 4 suspects on the loose. No descriptions as of yet. The ones from Warren Street and Oval apparently fled out of the main station entrances, so will be on CCTV and won’t get far. Fucking amateurs! What the pissing hell is the point, exactly? Paltry little explosions, don’t even kill yourselves, and do it in the most heavily-filmed city in the world, where CCTV cameras cover pretty much every inch? What the hell are they playing at?

14:42 – two weeks ago we were asking “is this the best they can do?” Well, no answer to that one yet – but it appears it certainly wasn’t their worst. This is – from currently available information – likely to go down in history as the most half-arsed terrorist attack ever.

14:47 – From Sky News – “Victoria Line train passenger Ivan McCracken told Sky News he spoke to an Italian man who witnessed an explosion just after the train arrived at the platform:

“He told me he had seen a man carrying a rucksack which suddenly exploded. It was a minor explosion but enough to blow open his rucksack. Everyone rushed from the carriage. People evacuated very quickly. There was no panic.”

Claim of responsibility from some tinpot terror cell blathering on about “Britain quaking in fear” in T minus 5… 4… 3…

You’d think they would have learned by now.

14:54 – Tim Worstall confirms I’m not mad by suggesting what I’ve been thinking – this could be a far right BNP/National Front/Combat 18 piss-poor attempt to stir up more Islamophobia. It certainly has all the hallmarks – incompetence, nailbombs, running away like big girls… See my post saying the BNP have a lot to gain from last week.

I genuinely wouldn’t put it past them.

15:00 – Blair expected any time, but he’s likely too busy celebrating the Aussies being slaughtered in the Cricket. Which has carried on playing in London throughout this pathetic attack.

The BBC has some pictures of a few Londoners milling about going “you what?”

15:14 – Mobile network isn’t shut down, as I’ve just made a call. Which would tend to suggest they aren’t taking this too seriously.

15:17 – Blair should have been on by now. Still probably celebrating the cricket.

This has got to be a first – cricket more interesting than a terrorist attack.

15:20 – slight delay on this, but via Tim worstall and sky News, police looking for a six foot black or asian man near UCH. I suppose he could have been the BNP’s DJ (remember that? Heh…), if not, perhaps it’s just shoddy regular dicks.

15:25: Katie, Via email – “Neil, biochemist, says: “Okay, all the eyewitnesses on tv are talking about a sour smell. A “bad” batch of TATP will smoulder rather than explode and produce a sour smell and smoke….”

Hmmm… Hadn’t heard the “sour smell” before now… Worrying again.

Also a man has been arrested at the Ministry of Defence, apparently…

15:28 – TATP is triacetone triperoxide, cheapo homebrew plastic explosive. Not so worried again now. Info: “First employed by Palestinian bomb makers, the highly unstable TATP � also known as the �Mother of Satan� � is difficult to detect by dogs and conventional hi-tech methods, such as nuclear quadrupole resonance.”

15:33 – Blair/Clarke expected soon. TATP thing is entirely unconfirmed. BBC reporting dummy devices. I’d go with the BBC on this.

15:42 – Police are appealing for anyone with mobile phone images, pictures or video from any of the four sites to send in their images via a website.

Blair and Aussie PM John Howard holding press conference. Radio cutting out, so can’t provide live coverage.

15:50 – gist of it – no casualties and the situation is under control. Sounds like early calls of amateurs were about right. Not sure about the reports via Robin of reporters being told to turn off cameras in Whitehall following that earlier arrest. Haven’t heard anything definite from that way – anyone?

15:54 – From Daniel Johnson via email: “itv.. live footage of man being led away by police from whitehall. police pushing camera man away but he stays on the guy as they take him to the side and search him from top to bottom.

“‘situation under control’ but numerous asian people around Whitehall getting arrested, very interesting.”

15:58 – I’ve heard some rumours from a few places now that at one of the other bomb sites there was a caucasian man seen with a smoking rucksack and then running from the scene. A contrast to the black/asian guy with wires hanging out of his pockets reported at UCH. Anyone know if there’s any confirmation to the white guy rumours? Not unheard of for there to be white Muslims, obviously, but would be different…

Still, no one seems to fussed by this again, and the whole thing seems a bit of a damp squib. Whitehall situation still remains interesting though… Probably just precautions though.

16:00 – Reports of police searching people’s bags on Tottenham Court Road. (For non-Londoners – this is the street that runs south from Warren Street Tube, towards Oxford Street.)

16:05 – police have officially ruled out any chemical weapons. Looks like they WERE just duds then.

16:16 – BBC handy summary of confirmed info:

Injuries: Reports vary between none and one minor.
Shepherd’s Bush: Reports of small explosion but details unclear. Eyewitnesses reportedly see man run from scene. Large area cordoned off.
Oval: Man runs off train after a small bang as train reaches station, eyewitnesses reportedly say. Large area cordoned off. Police tests show no traces of chemical agents.
Warren Street: Witnesses report hearing bang at front of train, passengers running to back of train and evacuating at station. Large area cordoned off. Police tests show no traces of chemical agents.
Hackney Road: Windows of number 26 bus travelling from Waterloo to Hackney blown out by small blast. Large area cordoned off.
University College Hospital: Armed officers deployed for “incident”. Large area cordoned off.

16:31 – Wikipedia’s doing well again.

16:33 – One of the men being hunted is apparently “between 5 and 6 feet tall”. That’s helpful…

16:43 – Bloody hell – the traditional media are really into their blogs this time… – Financial Times blog roundup already! (link fixed)

16:48 – this is getting to the “move along, nothing to see here” stage.

Pah – back to the cricket. (Oh, and the job, obviously…) I’ll keep an eye out for any more developments, but looks like this was a bit weak.

Only two suspects reported as being in custody that I’m aware of so far, though, so there’s likely to be a couple still on the loose.

In summary? Amateurs.

15:55 – 39-5? what the fuck? That’s almost as pathetic as these bombs.

17:02 – more reports of St Alban’s station (north of London) being cordoned off. Also (in the comments) – ” Something’s up at Ludgate Hill. City Thameslink closed, St Paul’s Churchyard closed, cops everywhere.”

Hmmm… Have they tracked one of them down? The guy from the bus, maybe?

17:24 – still no more on that St Paul’s thing. Probably nothing.

The sole injury was apparently an elderly woman at Warren Street, not one of the bombers as speculated, but she’s doing OK.

So, you chuck a bomb that doesn’t work properly, hurt a little old lady a bit, and then run away like a big girl – and we’re meant to be scared? Pffft!