JOURNEYS TO GLORY

THE WHOLE WORLD IS GOING MAD; Nail Bomb Terror In Soho: Horror of stars caught in the blast.

The Mirror (London, England); 5/1/1999

SHAKEN Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp, who was 200 yards from the blast, declared last night: "It seems the whole world has gone mad."

Songwriter Gary was drinking with heart-throb actor Rufus Sewell at Zilli's Bar in Soho's Dean Street when the bomb went up.

He said: "We just heard this huge bang and everyone sat their stunned. The whole place shook. The next thing police were telling everyone to get out of the area as fast as possible. It was absolutely terrifying."

The star - who was celebrating a court victory over three former members of the band who had sued him for royalties - fled the bar in fear.

Owner Aldo Zilli said: "There was a horrendous noise and then an eerie silence. Then we heard screaming and people were running.

"Some had cuts on their head and were shouting 'It's a bomb! It's a bomb!' It was a senseless act. We're all very shaken."

TV host Mark Lamarr was also caught up in the blast, although he left the scene unscathed.

Mark, presenter of TV's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, said: "I was in the area and heard the bomb. The emergency services were soon at the scene and did a marvellous job."

Gay actor Stephen Fry lives nearby and was on the point of going to the nearby Groucho Club just as the bomb went up. Last night, he branded the mad bomber as a "pathetic, inadequate creature."

And he vowed that extremists who have now hit blacks, Asians and gays would never win. He said: "They want to see us all hiding and terrified. But there's no way we're going to do that.

"We've got to be happy and not be bullied into submission by these people. They are the minority."

Vowing that such devastating incidents would not halt him from going to gay areas, he added: "It's awful, absolutely awful.

"This kind of attack makes me feel extremely vulnerable. As a member of a minority which some people can't bear there's always a chance you're going to be picked out for this kind of outrage. But the extremists behind this have not succeeded in their aim - they have brought communities together.

"To try and predict the logic of right-wing groups, such as it is, is terribly hard.

"The police could have warned all minority groups to be on their guard. But on a Friday night and at the start of a Bank Holiday weekend, how could you stop someone from leaving a bag outside a pub?

"I think those behind the bomb must be deeply unhappy and isolated, people who just can't bear the idea of anyone else enjoying themselves."

The first paramedic to arrive at the scene told last night of the horror which confronted him.

Ken Murphy, a veteran of the King's Cross and Cannon Street disasters, arrived just four minutes after the blast swept through the Admiral Duncan pub.

He found 10 seriously injured casualties on the street in front of him - with another five lying bloodied and prostrate inside.

Ken, 35, immediately identified the two fatalities who had been nearest to the bomb. He said: "They were no longer human beings."

Telling how victims had lost arms and legs, with many crying for help, he said: "There was a lot of moaning, but no screaming.

"It was quite surreal. Some people were shouting for oxygen and there were a few lying on the ground with others helping them. But it was really quite calm.

"There was lots of blood everywhere and limbs which had been blown off. There were arms and legs - it was terrible. Some people were lying on their backs with their bodies twisted and limbs in places where you wouldn't expect them .

"The vast majority were males about 20 to 30 years old with serious flesh wounds."

Ken said the inside of the bar was "like a demolition site."

He added: "It was completely blown out. You couldn't tell where anything was. There was just a lot of stuff lying around that had been burned - glass, bits of wood from the ceiling and lights which came down."

In 15 minutes at least 10 ambulances were at the scene together with the London air Ambulance Service. Ken went on: "We set up a Command Centre away from the scene to deal with the casualties.

"We had to take the victims to a makeshift treatment centre at the junction of Dean Street in case there were any more devices.

"It was like being in a war zone. You just can't bear this sort of exposure so close to a blast."

The bomb exploded in the heart of London's media and celebrity land. Just 150 yards from the blitzed Admiral Duncan is the Prince Edward theatre.

If the explosion had happened an hour later up to 1,500 people would have been heading there where the Abba musical Mamma Mia! was scheduled to play. The performance was cancelled.

The West End HQs of Granada TV, film giants 20th Century Fox and Virgin Radio, plus Ronnie Scott's famous jazz club, are all nearby.

Also in Old Compton Street is the Soho House - a popular haunt for top TV stars and film bosses.

The Groucho, a favourite with media folk, is in a road running off the street. Staff there told how they saw a priest administering last rites to the dying and seriously injured. GARY KEMP We heard this huge bang - the place shook. It was really terrifying FRANK LAMARR I heard the bomb - the emergency services did a marvellous job STEPHEN FRY They want to see us hiding and terrified but we are not going toALDO ZILLI There was a horrific noise followed by eerie silence and screaming