End terror of DIY ‘cleaning product’ bombs

COMMON household cleaning products could be modified to stop terrorists being able to turn them into explosives.

The Home Office is investigating how to reduce the risk of chemicals such as bleach and disinfectant being used in home-made bombs – as in the Manchester Arena attack which killed 22 people.

Philip Ingram, an explosives expert and former colonel in British military intelligence, said: ‘It’s frightening the number of substances that could easily be turned into something that goes bang.’

He said the compound used in the Manchester Arena bombing – triacetone triperoxide – ‘can be made from chemicals that, on their own, have nothing to do with explosives’, adding: ‘But if you put them together in the right order you can turn everyday household chemicals into highly explosive substances.’

Counter-terrorism measures require shops and firms to report any suspicious transactions or significant thefts of substances that could potentially make bombs.

The Home Office said: ‘We have been working with industry to develop safer alternative substances to tackle evolving threats. We have robust measures which control access to explosive precursors and poisons, and strict licensing for the most dangerous substances.’

Mr Ingram said: ‘For most people, if they try to get hold of these chemicals it will immediately flag them to organisations who will send a lot of coppers with lots of weapons kicking their door at 5am.

‘Unfortunately, the recipes for these explosives are still relatively easy to get.

‘Every time security services or counter-terrorism police come across a new home-made explosive, they look at all the components – how they have been sourced, how they have been manufactured – and can they bring in different procedures to disrupt the ability of terrorists to turn these everyday items into explosives.’