bomb campaign bomb campaign attempted british supermarket chain started august led largest secretive operations undertaken campaign identified pseudonym sent letters stores threatening harm customers demands modified holder withdraw cash automated machines met months threat came light sent letter bombs received exploded face causing shock minor injuries intercepted packages held insufficient stamps october threatened use pipe bombs customers threat taken seriously began production modified unable produce required number deadline set november claimed placed pipe bomb garden area bomb found police eventually mounted surveillance operation letters traced identified arrested february months beginning attempt charged offences including counts blackmail common assault found guilty sentenced years imprisonment june later reduced appeal number similar attempts supermarket chains businesses subsequent attacks compared campaign media beginnings campaign began august director security united_kingdom largest supermarket chain discovered copy letter left shop letter demanded away modified use cash machines following days received letters threatening send bombs customers demands met investigation police investigation campaign secretive undertaken largest british history receiving second letter damaged fire police discovered fire reported road leading speculation alias letters signed changed mind attempted destroy letter received letter august claimed prepared letter bombs send customers receiving letter police attempted communicate taking classified buy time receiving response weeks senior investigating officer detective superintendent james convened meeting senior officers united_kingdom assess threat posed bombings james meeting informed letter bomb exploded suburb documentary investigation james said knock door told officers device gone atmosphere meeting changed clearly risk threat real woman opened letter bomb taken hospital minor injuries bomb disposal team british_army scene device party detonate gunpowder inside envelope immediately letter bomb alerted look similar packages found office having delayed insufficient stamps placed army seven packages delivered homes customers following letter bombs army bomb disposal team stationed usually happens political party conferences held town placed stand threatening letter sent october threatening attack customers pipe bombs demands met letter contained allowed police communicate code cryptic james contacted editor echo police allowed place messages echo disguised puzzles look like time police narrowed focus investigation square mile area james convinced find road fire damaged letter passed august box placed surveillance eventually october letter traced box footage surveillance operation reviewed image poor quality november lost patience sent letter said place pipe bomb garden customer demands met prompting police seriously consider producing modified discovered produce sufficient cards december deadline set approximately modified use eventually produced distributed end november sent letter telling police planted bomb garden area giving grid reference included houses claim prompted hundreds police officers area bomb found arrest police received letter december letter traced road surveillance operation continued operation captured good quality footage users day close christmas normal items posted people regulations meant detectives open delay letters recipients identify eventually managed identify small number february months demand months letter police major breakthrough detective constable junior detective case spotted people caught surveillance identified man carrying fuel container believed come nearby filling station officers obtained footage filling station suspect paid identified man time year old unsuccessful businessman living teenage daughters placed surveillance surveillance operation yield results police decided confront visited home february found note computer cryptic notes arrested interviewed police later intercepted final letter surveillance footage showed posting day arrested exact match letter found computer detective superintendent james later revealed individual desperate need money believing answer problems conviction charged pleaded guilty counts blackmail sole count common assault woman opened letter bomb june sentenced years imprisonment judge sentence reduced years imprisonment appeal released prison trial emerged worn gloves avoid leaving letters water stick stamps errors leaving copy demand initially demanded lost estimated million complied demand place cards copy aftermath investigation largest secretive undertaken campaign compared media similar attempts british businesses got inspiration campaign article read attempted million baby food sentenced years imprisonment campaign compared dubbed bomber media years bombs attempt money sentenced years imprisonment later incidents compared campaign including documentary campaign broadcast itv documentary featured interviews editor james police officer led investigation
Tesco bomb campaign