Eyewitnesses tell of explosion

Eyewitnesses have described the explosion that rocked the centre of Shrewsbury this morning.

Robert Joys, of Coton Hill, has served as a soldier in Belfast but said the explosion was the biggest he had ever experienced.

He said: "I was actually on the other side of the Welsh Bridge. I thought the tyres had burst on my van but it was the shockwaves from the blast.

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"The glass completely blew out at the auctioneers; they had blown out across the road. Everybody on the bridge had to turn around, there were about 10 cars on the bridge at the time. Two young girls were in the firing line and they came running across the bridge in tears. They were telling everybody to get away.

"I saw a cloud of smoke, at first I thought it was dust, loads of birds were flying up into the air, then I would say about 30 seconds later the police were there.

"I have served in the army in Belfast and been close to car bombs going off and they were nothing like what I experienced at the other side of that bridge."

Richard Kennedy, manager of Top Cats bar in Mardol, was opening to clean up when the blast happened.

He said: "Next thing I knew I was on the floor. It just threw me forward. I looked up and the window had shattered. I thought I'd been shot.

"I heard screaming and shouting and ran to the corner. I made sure the emergency services had been called, but a lot of people had already done that."