Arsonist’s recce trip to hub for migrants
A SUICIDAL fire bomber who targeted an immigration centre drove more than 100 miles to stake out the target the night before, it was claimed yesterday.
The attacker, who later killed himself, is suspected of carrying out reconnaissance while driving in a car park nearby.
His SUV is believed to have been spotted by security staff on Saturday night.
The 66-year-old man, from High Wycombe, Bucks, returned to the migrant processing centre at the Western Jet Foil base at Dover, Kent, on Sunday morning.
He laughed as he hurled three home-made incendiary devices at the site. Two people suffered minor injuries in Sunday’s attack.
Officers have searched the man’s home address – 120 miles from Dover. His motive is unclear but police are not treating it as terrorist-related at present.
The bomber hurled abuse at coach drivers who take asylum seekers to a processing centre at Manston near Ramsgate, Kent.
He allegedly shouted: “Do you know what you’re doing? All your children should be raped and killed.” He then drove to a BP fuel station where he killed himself.
Bomb disposal experts made safe a fourth improvised device in the SUV. One source said: “He has clearly put a fair amount of planning into this. It looks like he knew the layout around the centre fairly well and had decided he was going to take his life.”
Another source said the man had recently been questioned on serious crimes. It was claimed he threatened to commit suicide in the interview and was put under supervision.
Police said: “The suspect, found deceased at a petrol station, is a 66-year-old man from the High Wycombe area.”