'More letter bombs' police warn

Det Supt Nicky Dahl shows a picture of Justin McAuliffe

More letter bombs could be in the post, according to police tracking a man wanted in connection with a spate of attempted bombings.

Justin McAuliffe, 32, an unemployed man from Bedford, is being sought by police after he left his home on 4 September.

A total of thirty suspect packages have been sent through the post.

Most of the improvised bombs have been sent to addresses in Bedfordshire but some have gone elsewhere, including one to a Blackpool pub.

Most were made of plastic food boxes filled with lighter fuel.

Call for vigilance

But officers said some packages also contained white powder and others were small white envelopes with trigger devices.

Twenty-seven devices have been found in south Bedfordshire, one in Harpenden, one in Colchester and one was delivered to a public house in Blackpool earlier this week.

So far one man has suffered minor injuries after opening a package containing a plastic sandwich box filled with lighter fuel.

Police said another parcel emitted a puff of smoke when it was opened.

Det Supt Nicky Dahl, who is leading the investigation, warned the public to remain vigilant as more packages could be in the system.

He said: "We are increasingly concerned for Justin's welfare and urge him to come forward to speak to police.

We would also warn the public not to approach him and instead call the police immediately if they know where he is Det Sup Nicky Dahl

"However, we would also warn the public not to approach him and instead call the police immediately if they know where he is.

"We are still working on a motive."

Mr McAuliffe had been living in the Bedford area for the past 12 months but was originally from Luton, where most of his extended family still live.

On Friday the owner of the large Victorian house where Mr McAuliffe rented a bedsit described him as the "the perfect tenant".

"Justin was very quiet and kept himself to himself and had very few visitors," said Vince Elder.

"He was no problem at all and in many ways he was the perfect tenant. When all the news came out about him, I just couldn't believe it. It's the sort of thing that happens to someone else."

The house in De Pary's Avenue, Bedford, where Mr McAuliffe has lived for the last two years, was cordoned off as a police forensic team searched his room.

Mr Elder said he believed Mr McAuliffe left the flat last Saturday.

Mr McAuliffe is 5ft 6in tall, with blue eyes and receding closely-shaven brown hair.