A man threw petrol bombs attached to fireworks at a centre for processing migrants in the southern English port of Dover on Sunday and then killed himself, a Reuters photographer said.
The attacker, a white man in a checked shirt, drove up to the centre in a white SEAT sports utility vehicle at around 1120 GMT. He got out and threw three petrol bombs, one of which failed to go off, the photographer said. He then drove to a nearby petrol station, tied an improvised noose around his neck, attached it to a metal pole and drove off, killing himself, the photographer said.
The motive for the attack was not known. Local police said they were not treating it as a terrorist incident and were keeping an open mind. It comes at a time when British policy towards migrants and asylum seekers is a heated political issue.
The Dover facility is the first stop for thousands of people who make the dangerous journey across the English Channel before they are sent to other accommodation while their claims to stay in Britain are reviewed. Kent police said two to three incendiary devices were thrown outside and into the premises by a person in a car.—Agencies
