Fight to save blast boy's hearing

Police sealed off Wood Lane following the explosion

Doctors are fighting to save the hearing of a boy who lost a hand and was blinded by an explosion at a Territorial Army barracks.

On Thursday it emerged that Stephen Menary, 14, who was injured when the torch bomb exploded in his hand, had been blinded by the blast.

Stephen, from the White City estate in west London, has already undergone two operations at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital since the explosion.

A hospital spokeswoman said he could also lose the hearing in his left ear following the explosion on Wednesday night.

Anti-terrorist officers were called to the TA base off Wood Lane, close to BBC Television Centre, after the blast at 1910GMT.

Scotland Yard said the device - believed to have been disguised as a hand-held torch - had been deliberately placed outside the barracks in Shepherd's Bush.

We appreciate everyone's concern over Stephen and the many messages of support we have received

Steve and Carol Menary

The injured cadet is thought to have picked up the device in the street shortly before it detonated.

A spokeswoman for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital said Stephen lost his right eye to cancer when he was four months old and has now lost the use of his left eye.

Stephen, who also has chest injuries, is currently on a ventilator and detectives are waiting for him to recover to establish how he came by the bomb.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We cannot rule out the significance of the military venue although at this time there is nothing to suggest that it is related to Irish terrorism or any other known terrorist group."

Difficult journey ahead

Police are advising people to be alert to suspicious packages or objects in the wake of the blast - particularly any object that looks like a torch.

There have been no claims of responsibility made to date and police are keeping an open mind regarding the motive.

A statement issued by Stephen's parents, Steve and Carol, said: "We appreciate everyone's concern over Stephen and the many messages of support we have received.

"Our main concern is that our family is given the space and time to care for Stephen who faces a difficult journey ahead as he starts to recover from his appalling injuries."