Tests continue on bomb find

The cache was found in woods by a man walking his dog

Forensic tests are being carried out on a cache of home-made bombs found by a man walking his dog in remote woodland.

The eight devices were found in a copse in the village of Freeland, Oxon, on Friday but details were made public only on Saturday.

Police say a violent and possibly fatal terrorist bombing campaign may have been averted.

The devices contained a timer, explosives and brass nuts, stored in plastic water bottles.

Each device was packed with up to three kg of brass nuts

Detective Superintendent John Donlon of Thames Valley Police said the discovery was being linked to an identical device found last Sunday on a stone wall at Syreford, near Cheltenham, now thought to be a "test" device.

But he refused to comment on speculation that all the devices were built by animal rights activists, saying that police were keeping an "open mind".

Det Supt Donlon said: "These devices are, in the opinion of our experts, extremely sophisticated and dangerous.

"They would appear to be designed to be victim activated."

He appealed for anyone finding a similar device to keep away from it and dial 999 immediately.

"If a device of this nature was to be activated within close proximity of people or property, it would certainly maim, if not kill," he said.

Timing devices

He appealed to any retail hardware stores that have recently sold large amounts of brass nuts to contact him.

Local police officers were called to the area after a member of the public found one suspicious device while walking his dog at 1400 BST on Friday afternoon.

Others, fitted with timers, were found just under the surface wrapped in polythene.

Det Supt John Donlon: Devices "would certainly maim, if not kill".

Thames Valley Police are now involved in a joint investigation with the Gloucestershire force and the anti-terrorist branch of New Scotland Yard.

Det Supt Donlon said: "I would hope this find by a member of the public has thwarted a campaign and that lives have been saved.

"I would also hope that we have found as many as there are hidden and we have stopped a campaign.

"The type of devices we have here and have in Gloucestershire are at this time not linked to any other bombing incident that the Anti-Terrorist Branch knows of."

The wood where the devices were found is also close to the homes of Home Secretary Jack Straw and former home secretary Douglas Hurd, who used to be MP for the constituency.

In May, nine devices were defused at a meat processing plant in Witney, after one exploded and burnt out a lorry.

Labour MP Shaun Woodward, who represents Witney, said: "I was very disturbed to hear of the finding of this cache.

"It demonstrates once again the importance of members of the public keeping a watchful eye and the person who discovered these weapons deserves congratulations."