British police hold man over letter bomb

LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) British police said today they had detained a man who claimed to have sent one of a series of letter bombs to hit the country in past weeks but added that they continue to investigate a number of other leads.

The 48-year-old man was detained yesterday after he called a radio station to claim responsibility for a letter bomb that arrived at a firm in Wokingham, southern England, on Tuesday.

He has been held under the Mental Health Act, said Anton Setchell, police national coordinator for domestic extremism.

But he said detectives continued to pursue several lines of inquiry and he urged people to remain vigilant.

''Despite this significant development there remains in place a substantial police investigation spread across several force areas. The focus of my investigation remains broad,'' Setchell told a news conference.

Six people were hurt in Swansea, south Wales, on Wednesday by the seventh letter bomb in a three-week campaign that has included at least three targets related to the enforcement of traffic rules, leading media to speculate a disgruntled motorist was to blame.

Police have said they believe the bombs -- packed into padded envelopes -- were intended to shock, not kill, and no one has been seriously injured.

Three of the letter bombs were sent in January, one of which bore the name of a jailed animal rights activist.

''I continue to investigate leads that point towards animal rights extremism but equally I am focused in several other areas,'' Setchell said.

The Wokingham firm targeted by one of the letter bombs was business services company Vantis. Two men were injured.

Setchell said forensic teams were searching two addresses in southern England in connection with the detained man.

''These searches are with a view to investigate and clarify his claims or to eliminate him from the investigation,'' he said.

Police had attended to many false alarm calls from worried companies in past days, he added.

Setchell also released two edited photographs, one of a letter bomb before it exploded and a second showing the remains of an envelope after a device exploded.

He said the exploded device had caused minor injuries although it could have caused more serious damage.

REUTERS BDP HS2229