Forensics officers have removed petrol bombs from the van that was used by the London Bridge terrorists.
At least four Lidl wine bottles with white rags tied around the necks were put at the front of the van as its contents were being removed yesterday. The officers, dressed in blue jumpsuits, face masks and purple gloves, appeared cautious as they carried them away from the site.
A total of 14 jerry cans commonly used for storing petrol were also seen lined up along the curb, prompting fears that the attackers had planned a third part to their plot.
Police shot dead Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, within eight minutes of the attack first being reported on Saturday night.
The white Hertz hire van weaved across the road, crashing into pedestrians before the killers got out armed with knives and began stalking Borough Market, stabbing drinkers and diners at restaurants.
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Although a petrol bomb is not a common weapon of choice for jihadists, they have been used in the past and Islamic State and al-Qaeda have called on followers to use them as improvised explosives.
The offices of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine whose staff were targeted in a terrorist attack in January 2015, were gutted by a fire that was started by a petrol bomb attack in November 2011.
The first attack came a day after the magazine named the Prophet Muhammad as its “editor-in-chief” for the week’s issue.