A suicide bomber primed to detonate 500 party poppers in a crowded London tourist spot failed because her explosives were quickly spotted and identified by a vigilant police officer, said a Home Office spokesman.

The terrorist suspect, who is now being held at London’s Paddington Green Police Station, managed to set off only one of the poppers before being wrestled to the ground by an off-duty police officer shopping with his wife in Covent Garden. ‘It was lucky she was wearing the poppers outside her burka,’ said PC Bill Watson, ‘otherwise it could have been 9/11 all over again.’

Police believe they are close to apprehending Britain’s most notorious queue-jumper after a nationwide hunt lasting five years. The infamous criminal, known only as ‘Q Jumper’, has carried out several daring queue jumps, even taunting the force by getting to the front of a queue of police cadets at Hendon Police College.

Detective Inspector Bob Watson who leads the hunt for Q Jumper, said that he hoped to make an arrest soon; ‘This individual is a dangerous serial queue jumper who inserts himself into lawful queues ahead of others without any thought as to the consequences. He leaves behind him a trail of angry, frustrated and outraged victims, some of whom will be irritated for hours.’