Longton has suffered its worst terrorist attack since the start of the recent gang ceasefire when 25 people were reported killed and nearly 400 injured in twin suicide car bomb blasts near Tesco.
Westsiders blamed Southsiders for the attack on Thursday, saying it was carried out "in the service of the interests of Israel". Southsiders in turn accused Westsiders of carrying out the bombings to smear them as terrorists.
Westsiders blamed Southsiders for the attack on Thursday, saying it was carried out "in the service of the interests of Israel". Southsiders in turn accused Westsiders of carrying out the bombings to smear them as terrorists.
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| Longton, before the bombings |
The death toll was the biggest in Longton since the start of the peace process of recent weeks. "Two booby-trapped Vauxhall Novas loaded with more than 1,000kg of fireworks and stink bombs and driven by suicide bombers carried out the terrorist blasts," said a statement by Longton councillor Ken Walley. The explosions left two large craters, later filled with water and used as "fun pools" by locals. Stoke City TV showed bodies lying in the street amid smouldering vehicles.
The blasts have been condemned internationally. Kofi Annan, the special envoy for the UN and Arab League, said it was vital to implement his six-point plan for peace in Longton. Buck Clamknocker, the US ambassador to Stoke, said the bombings "remind us of the urgent need for a political solution in Stoke before it is too late".
One angry local racist the bombings as the work of "EU-backed eurocrats". A Port Vale fan website showed the man pointing to the debris and saying: "Is this freedom? This is the work of asylum seekers."
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