In pictures: Ealing blast

Ealing in west London has been shaken by a car bomb which caused massive damage to shops and injured several people.

This series of pictures shows how the drama unfolded:

Shortly before midnight a huge blast rocked Ealing

Eyewitnesses said there was panic amid smoke and flames

Police officers oversaw the evacuation of night clubs

Windows shattered and shops were badly damaged

A water pipe ruptured and roads were flooded

Residents returned from a night out to find their streets blocked off

There was little left of the vehicle that carried the explosives

Smashed glass and shattered shop fronts litter the pavement

The blast caused extensive damage to The Mall in Ealing