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| 1993 Harrods bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part ofthe Troubles | |
 Brompton Road, looking north from Harrods in 1993 | |
 Interactive map of 1993 Harrods bombing | |
| Location | Knightsbridge, London, United Kingdom |
| Date | 28 January 1993 09:40 (UTC) |
| Target | Harrods |
Attack type | Bomb |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 4 |
| Perpetrator | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
The1993 Harrods bombing occurred on 28 January 1993 when a bomb exploded near theHarrods department store inLondon, England.
TheProvisional IRA began intensifying its bombings in London in 1992. A month before the Harrods bomb, on 10 December 1992 the IRA exploded two bombs in litter bins outside theWood Green Shopping City centre injuring four police officers and seven civilians.[1] A week later on 17 December two more IRA bombs exploded in London outside shops injuring four people atOxford Street andCavendish Square.[2]
On 28 January 1993 a bomb exploded near theHarrods department store inLondon, England. At 9:14, two telephoned warnings were issued, saying that two bombs had been planted: one outside and one inside Harrods.[3] The store was due to open at 10:00.[3] Police cordoned off the area and began a search. However, some bystanders ignored the police cordon.[3] At about 9:40, a package containing 1 lb (450 g) ofSemtex exploded in a litter bin at the front of the store.[3] It injured four people and damaged the shopfront.[3][4] The cost of damage and lost sales was estimated at £1 million.[5] Harrods was previously targeted by the IRA before, first two firebombs in August 1973 caused minor damage,[6] in 1974 the IRA'sactive service unit known as theBalcombe Street Gang exploded another firebomb gutting a clothes shop inside the store and injuring one member of staff and in 1983 acar bomb killed six (3 civilians and 3 police) and injured 90 people,the 1993 bomb was much smaller than the 1983 one.
Those responsible were EnglishIrish nationalist activists associated with theProvisional IRA:Jan Taylor, a 51-year-old former corporal who had served in theBritish ArmyRoyal Signals Corps, andPatrick Hayes, a 41-year-old computer programmer of Irish descent, with a degree in business studies fromPolytechnic of Central London and a member ofRed Action.[4][5]
In March 1993, police captured them at Hayes' home inStoke Newington, London.[7] They each received prison sentences of 30 years for the January Harrods bombing and for a second attack on a train a month later which caused extensive damage but no casualties. Hayes was also convicted of conspiracy to cause three additional explosions in 1992. Neither man had any apparent links to Ireland beyond their "unswerving support for the IRA".[8] Both were released in 1999 under theGood Friday Agreement.[citation needed]
51°29′59″N00°09′49″W / 51.49972°N 0.16361°W /51.49972; -0.16361