A LETTER bomb has exploded at the office of a Greater Manchester MEP.

It was addressed to Gary Titley, leader of the UK Labour members and was opened by a secretary in his office in Radcliffe on Monday.

MEP Mr Titley, who was travelling to Brussels at the time, said: "There can be no justification for these attacks which in reality are an attack on democracy.

"There's suggestions this has come from an Italian anarchist group. Quite why they've targeted non-Italian politicians is not yet clear. But I understand leaders of the main political parties have received these devices.

"Mine coming through the constituency office meant there wasn't any screening, as there is here in the European Parliament."

He said the device was the last item of mail to be dealt with from the backlog of post which had arrived during the Christmas holidays. When the package started to give off black smoke, the secretary threw it aside and it burst into flames, he said.

The office manager put out the fire. Mr Titley said: "Today being the first day back after the holidays, so much mail, everyone feeling very relaxed, obviously this one got under our defences."

Greater Manchester Police said: "Mr Titley's secretary opened the package and it exploded like a party popper, giving her slight injuries to her hand."