SCOTLAND YARD was still questioning four Irishmen last night about the IRA bombing of Canary Wharf in London's Docklands.
A police spokesman confirmed that the men, who are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, may be questioned for a further four days without being charged. "Our inquiries are continuing and the four men remain in custody", he added.
The four, who are all from south Armagh, are being held at the high security Paddington Green police station. Scotland Yard believes that the lorry which transported the bomb to Canary Wharf was adapted to carry the device in the south Armagh area.
The IRA attack in February killed two people and signalled the ended of the 18 month ceasefire.
The mother of two of the men in custody, Mrs Joey McKinley, insisted yesterday that her sons were innocent. "Everybody is dumbfounded, nobody can believe this is happening", she said.
Mr Paddy McKinley (32) and his brother, Ted (28), who are both motor mechanics, were arrested early on Friday morning during a raid by the RUC and Scotland Yard anti terrorist officers. Their father, Sean (61), was also questioned and flown to London, but was released on Saturday.
Another son, Martin (25), was arrested during the raid, but was freed several hours later.
The other two men still being questioned are also brothers and from south Armagh, but they have been living in Barking, east London. A third brother was arrested during the pre dawn raid, but he, too, was released on Saturday.