Two in court on UK bomb charges

Several people were injured when a device exploded in Ealing, west London, on August 3 last year

LONDON, England -- Two men have appeared in court in connection with a wave of bombings in England last year.

James Patrick McCormack, 33, and Aden Patrick Hulme, 25, spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth during the 10-minute hearing on Thursday.

McCormack is charged with causing three explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property -- one outside the London headquarters of the British Broadcasting Company, another in Ealing, west London, and a third in Birmingham, central England.

He was also charged with possessing a timer, a power unit and three detonators at Hilltop Farm, West Ardsley, West Yorkshire, north England, on or before November 14 last year.

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He was further charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion, possessing a grenade and a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver and three rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life.

Hulme is charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property on or before November 14 last year.

Both men, who appeared at the high security Belmarsh magistrates court, in south-east London, were remanded in custody and will appear in court again on February 21.

They were arrested by police in Northern Ireland last week at the request of Scotland Yards anti-terrorist squad.

On March 3, 2001, a car exploded outside BBC Television Centre in Shepherd's Bush, west London, slightly injuring one person.

Five months later, on August 3, another car blew up in a street in Ealing, west London, injuring several people.

On November 3 last year there was another car bomb in central Birmingham, but it did not detonate properly.