Nail bomb haunts me 20 years on, says survivor of Brick Lane blast

Horror: the blast scene in Brick Lane in 1999
PA
Isobel Frodsham26 April 2019

A survivor of deadly nail bomb attacks in London today said that he was still haunted by the experience.

Emdad Talukder, 65, survived a blast in Brick Lane in April 1999 — one of three caused by devices planted by neo-Nazi David Copeland that month.

Copeland, then 22, killed three people and injured 139 others in the attacks on Brixton, Brick Lane, and the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho.

Mr Talukder was among those attending a ceremony at 40 Brick Lane on Wednesday evening in memory of the victims on the 20th anniversary of the atrocity there. A memorial plaque was unveiled.

“It’s still a part of my life, as this type of attack or bombing — who can forget these things?” he said. “Whenever I’m alone and thinking something about my future, they come back to me. The plaque is good. It’s good for people to learn about these things. The new generation, many of them don’t know about what happened, we have to explain everything to them.”

Survivor Emdad Talukder welcomed a memorial plaque unveiled this week
Kois Miah

Mayor John Biggs, who unveiled the plaque, said: “I’m very proud that we are home to Banglatown and our Bangladeshi community which has contributed so much to the East End.

“This role in defining London’s strength in tolerance and diversity is why Brick Lane was targeted by hate.

“I was a councillor at the time of the Brick Lane nail bomb and remember the feeling of shock and fear it caused in the heart of our community.

“Our record in the East End is one of resilience against those that wish to divide us.”

The evening also featured a reading from poet Trudy Howson.

Andrea Dykes, 27, who was four months pregnant, her friend John Light, 32, and Nik Moore, 31, all died in the Admiral Duncan pub blast on April 30, 1999.

Copeland told police at the time he wanted the bombings to “set fire to the country and stir up a racial war”.

Copeland was handed six life sentences at the Old Bailey in June 2000 and was told to serve a minimum of 30 years before being considered for parole. He was sentenced to three additional years in prison in 2015 after attacking an inmate in Belmarsh jail.

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