An outrageous and mindless act Home Secretary Jack Straw

"A friend of mine who is a nurse tried to help patch up the worst.

"There was a bloke with a nail stuck in his head and another with a nail in his lung," he said.

Home Secretary Jack Straw has condemned the incident as "an outrageous and mindless act".

Scotland Yard said there was no warning given before the blast at 1730BST outside an Iceland supermarket.

A police helicopter and explosives officers were called to the scene, which remains sealed off as forensic experts trawl the site for clues.

Though no motive has been established police said the incident is not believed to be related to Northern Ireland paramilitary groups.

However, Brixton-based black activist Lee Jasper said he suspected the bomb may have been the work of a racially-motivated far-right group.

Brixton has a high concentration of ethnic minority residents and is known as a centre of black culture in London.

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