| Partof: | the Troubles |
| 1992 Staples Corner bombing | |
| Location: | Staples Corner, London, United Kingdom |
| Date: | 11 April 1992 |
| Time: | 1:10am |
| Timezone: | UTC |
| Type: | Van bomb |
| Fatalities: | 0 |
| Injuries: | 0 |
| Perp: | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
The 1992 Staples Corner bombing occurred on 11 April 1992 when the Provisional IRA detonated a large van bomb near the Staples Corner junction in North West London, England.
The attack happened at 1:10am, a few hours after the major bombing of the Baltic Exchange seven miles away which killed three people. The bomb was home-made like the Baltic Exchange one, and was placed in a white Bedford van.[1] The IRA gave telephone warnings 50 minutes prior from a phone operator in Portadown, Northern Ireland. Police located the van and evacuated the area.[2]
Although no injuries were caused, the blast was powerful and caused significant damage to roads, leaving a crater on the A5 Edgware Road flyover beneath the North Circular Road.[3] It was strong enough to be felt several miles away. The bomb damaged a three-storey B&Q DIY superstore and a steel-framed warehouse, and severely damaged warehouse property constructed of light cladding. It was estimated the explosive force was around 100 kg.[4] An eyewitness said the B&Q store was "completely destroyed" and the roof collapsed.[5]
The B&Q superstore had to be demolished and the junction was closed for several months, causing severe disruption.[6] It is one of London's busiest intersections as it forms the lead of the M1 motorway.[7]
On the morning of 8 October 1993, the IRA targeted Staples Corner once again with a small explosion. Around the same time another bomb detonated 2 miles away on West End Lane in West Hampstead.[8] No injuries were caused. In 1994 two IRA members, Gerard Mackin and Derek Doherty, were found guilty of planting 12 bombs throughout London over seven days in October 1993.[9]
Staples Corner is featured in Patrick Keiller's 1994 film London. The scene showcases the wreckage of the bombing days after the explosion in 1992.[10]