West Midlands police yesterday released CCTV footage showing the Birmingham car-bomb partially exploding just yards from pedestrians in a busy street.
The bomb, which police believe was planted by the so-called "'Real IRA", caused minor damage to the car and nearby buildings when part of it exploded on Saturday night in the city centre.
At a press conference in Birmingham designed to jog the public's memory about the car, the Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Mr Chris Sims, said the bomb was substantial enough to have killed motorists and pedestrians nearby. Police believe the bomb contained up to 30kg of explosives packed inside a beige Audi coupΘ.
Mr Sims said: "The video footage shows a crowded city- centre street on a Saturday evening full of traffic and full of people. It's an area where there are restaurants and night-clubs. Had that bomb fully detonated, there's absolutely no doubt at all that there would have been many casualties."
The investigating police team has received more than 2,000 calls from the public offering information. However, Mr Sims said police were "desperate" for information about the car-bomb and he gave details of the car's movements last Saturday afternoon after it was bought in Walsall. The car was seen at Junction 10 of the M6 near Walsall at about 2.30 p.m. and it is thought it was parked in Birmingham city centre at Smallbrook Queensway at 8.15 p.m.