Sign up to our free newsletter for the top North Wales stories sent straight to your e-mail Sign up now! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Papers until now kept locked out of sight in Government archives reveal how Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet discussed a spate of letter bombs the Home Secretary linked to “Welsh extremists”.

Welsh Secretary David Hunt was among those targeted in 1990 in a campaign which saw “low level incendiary devices” sent through the post.

The confidential minutes show that Home Secretary David Waddington told the cabinet the devices were similar to ones used by the “Sons of Glendower Group of Welsh extremists”.

This group, better known as Meibion Glyndwr, was linked to attacks on holiday homes in Wales – more than 220 were targeted over a 12-year period from 1979.

The minutes for June 21 1990 state: “The Home Secretary said that four low level incendiary devices, sent by mail, had reached their destinations on the previous day. Two were addressed to organisations in North Wales, a boating company at Abersoch and a restaurant at Dolgellau.

A boating firm and a restaurant were targeted

“Two further devices had been sent to the Secretary of State for Wales and the Member of Parliament for Pembroke at the House of Commons. A woman had been slightly injured at Abersoch, but the other three devices had been rendered safe by the police.”

The minutes added: “No one had yet claimed responsibility, but the devices were similar to those used previously by the Sons of Glendower Group of Welsh extremists. The police in North Wales had issued a public warning the previous day urging people to be vigilant.

“The post room at the Palace of Westminster had been alerted, and details of the envelopes used in the attacks been circulated that morning by the Cabinet Office to all Government departments.”

(Image: Arwyn Roberts)

The cabinet was then informed of another attempted attack. The minutes state: “During the meeting, it was subsequently reported that a letter bomb, similar to that which had been sent to the Secretary of State for Wales, had been delivered to the home of Mr Ivor Stanbrook MP earlier that day. The device had partially ignited but no one had been injured.

'They are fools and cowards'

“In a brief discussion it was noted that it would be prudent for the House of Commons to strengthen arrangements for examining incoming letters and packages – any public statement should be confined to confirming that the precautions were being taken.”

Press accounts from the time show how Mr Stanbrook responded by expressing sympathy for then-Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Elis-Thomas. Condemning those responsible for the campaign, he said: “They are fools and cowards and I feel sorry for [Dafydd Elis-Thomas] because I am sure it is his case which suffers from this by the association of nationalism with fanaticism.”

Mr Elis-Thomas told the press: “I don’t regard people responsible for this activity as nationalists – they have social psychological problems.”