Warrington bomb attacks
Encyclopedia
The Warrington bombings were two separate bombing attacks that happened during early 1993 in Warrington
, England
. The first attack happened in February when a bomb exploded at a district pressure gas storage facility. It caused extensive damage but no injuries; however, a police officer
was shot and injured by one of the bombers. The second attack happened in March on Bridge Street. Two small bombs exploded in litter bins outside a Boots store and a McDonald's restaurant, killing two children and injuring many other people. Although a warning or warnings had been sent, the area was not evacuated in time. Both attacks were perpetrated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA).
, about 15 miles (24.1 km) away from Warrington. Merseyside Police
investigated, and also warned the Cheshire Constabulary
(who patrolled Warrington). About 30 minutes later, at about 12:25, two bombs exploded on Bridge Street in Warrington. The blasts happened within a minute of each-other. One exploded outside Boots and McDonalds, showering fifty children in the restaurant with glass, and one outside the Argos
catalogue store. The area was crowded with shoppers. Witnesses said that "the first explosion drove panicking shoppers into the path of the next blast just seconds later". It was later found that the bombs had been placed inside cast-iron litter bins, causing large amounts of shrapnel
. Buses were organized to ferry people away from the scene and 20 paramedics and crews from 17 ambulances were sent to deal with the aftermath.
Three-year-old Johnathan Ball died at the scene, while his babysitter survived. The second victim, 12-year-old Tim Parry, who received the full force of the blast, was gravely wounded. He died on 25 March 1993 when doctors switched his life support
machine off, having asked permission to do so from his family, after a series of tests had found minimal brain activity. Fifty-four other people were injured, four of them seriously.
The day after the bombing, the IRA admitted that its volunteers had planted the bombs. In a statement, it said:
announced measures designed to make extradition
easier from the Republic of Ireland
to the United Kingdom
.
In 1994 Irish rock band The Cranberries
released the song "Zombie
", which was written as a protest to the bombings. The song went on to become one of their biggest hits.
The parents of Tim Parry set up the Tim Parry Trust Fund to promote greater understanding between Great Britain
and the two parts of Ireland.
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The first attack happened in February when a bomb exploded at a district pressure gas storage facility. It caused extensive damage but no injuries; however, a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
was shot and injured by one of the bombers. The second attack happened in March on Bridge Street. Two small bombs exploded in litter bins outside a Boots store and a McDonald's restaurant, killing two children and injuring many other people. Although a warning or warnings had been sent, the area was not evacuated in time. Both attacks were perpetrated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA).
First attack
The first attack took place on 26 February 1993. Three devices exploded at the gas storage facility causing extensive damage. A police officer, PC Mark Toker, was shot and injured after stopping a van connected to the attacks, and a car was hijacked.Second attack
Shortly before midday on 20 March 1993, telephone help charity The Samaritans received a coded message that a bomb was going to be detonated outside the Boots shop in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, about 15 miles (24.1 km) away from Warrington. Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The force area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million...
investigated, and also warned the Cheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the English unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. The force is responsible for policing an area of with a population of roughly 1 million.The Chief Constable of the...
(who patrolled Warrington). About 30 minutes later, at about 12:25, two bombs exploded on Bridge Street in Warrington. The blasts happened within a minute of each-other. One exploded outside Boots and McDonalds, showering fifty children in the restaurant with glass, and one outside the Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
catalogue store. The area was crowded with shoppers. Witnesses said that "the first explosion drove panicking shoppers into the path of the next blast just seconds later". It was later found that the bombs had been placed inside cast-iron litter bins, causing large amounts of shrapnel
Fragmentation (weaponry)
Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...
. Buses were organized to ferry people away from the scene and 20 paramedics and crews from 17 ambulances were sent to deal with the aftermath.
Three-year-old Johnathan Ball died at the scene, while his babysitter survived. The second victim, 12-year-old Tim Parry, who received the full force of the blast, was gravely wounded. He died on 25 March 1993 when doctors switched his life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
machine off, having asked permission to do so from his family, after a series of tests had found minimal brain activity. Fifty-four other people were injured, four of them seriously.
The day after the bombing, the IRA admitted that its volunteers had planted the bombs. In a statement, it said:
Responsibility for the tragic and deeply regrettable death and injuries caused in Warrington yesterday lies squarely at the door of those in the British authorities who deliberately failed to act on precise and adequate warnings.A day later, an IRA spokesman said that "two precise warnings" had been given "in adequate time", one to the Samaritans and one to Merseyside Police. He added: "You don't provide warnings if it is your intention to kill". Cheshire's assistant chief constable denied there had been a second warning and said: "If the IRA think they can pass on their responsibility for this terrible act by issuing such a nonsensical statement, they have sadly underestimated the understanding of the British public".
Aftermath
On 1 April 1993, the Irish GovernmentIrish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
announced measures designed to make extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
easier from the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In 1994 Irish rock band The Cranberries
The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...
released the song "Zombie
Zombie (song)
"Zombie" is a protest song by the Irish band The Cranberries from the 1994 album No Need to Argue. The song, which laments The Troubles in Northern Ireland and in particular the killing of two children in an IRA bombing in Warrington, England, was written by Dolores O'Riordan, singer of the band...
", which was written as a protest to the bombings. The song went on to become one of their biggest hits.
The parents of Tim Parry set up the Tim Parry Trust Fund to promote greater understanding between Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the two parts of Ireland.
External links
- Memorial service in 2008 for the victims
- The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace
- Child killed in Warrington bomb attack — from the BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
On This Day feature - The Damien Walsh Memorial Lecture by Roy Greenslade, 4 August 1998 "Some time later, political analysts Paul Bew and Gordon Gillespie, commented that the Warrington bombing created 'a wave of revulsion throughout the British Isles against terrorist killings.' What they meant, of course, was that media coverage of the deaths created a wave of revulsion."
See also
- Chronology of the Northern Ireland Troubles and peace process
- Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions
- The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for PeaceThe Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for PeaceThe Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace is an educational peace charity based in United Kingdom . It was formed in 1995 by the parents of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball, two children who were killed in the1993 Warrington bomb attacks, which were perpetrated by the Provisional Irish...