London Hilton bombing anniversary: How one phone call changed the hotel forever

On September 5 1975, the workers and guests of the London Hilton Park Lane arrived at the hotel, thinking that it would be just another day.

But by 12.20pm, the hotel had been rocked by a horrific tragedy, leaving two families devastated and dozens scarred for life.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) set off a bomb at the hotel, which blasted through the reception at 12.18pm, which was packed with workers and visitors.

A warning call had been placed to the Daily Mail by the IRA around ten minutes earlier, and the message was passed to the Metropolitan Police.

But by the time they managed to scramble to the luxury hotel opposite Hyde Park, the bomb had been set off with deadly consequences.

Two people were killed the blast. Robert Anthony Lloyd, a casino manager and father of two was killed. The other was Dutch tour guide Grace Lodhuis, 39. A further 63 were injured, many of them seriously.

Police and firemen outside the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, London after a terrorist bomb exploded in the lobby of the building, in 1975 (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The IRA claimed responsibility for the bombing, which followed the Birmingham pub bombings ten months earlier.

Met Police on the scene described the carnage inside the Hilton as a terrifying scene, stating that some victims had lost their limbs. The theorised that the bomb had been placed under a marble table in the lobby, which had been adorned with a vase of flowers.

Witnesses meanwhile said it was chaotic, and were left traumatised despite the explosion being one of a number of attacks in recent weeks in the city.

George Michael, a taxi driver who had just dropped two passengers at the hotel, said: ‘I saw people running out, people injured, screaming, bleeding.’

The building is known for its luxurious rooms and favourite among tourists (Picture: Getty)

Judith halt, a cashier in the hotel, added: ‘There was a huge explosion and part of the ceiling came down on our heads. The air was full of dust, and when it cleared everything was a complete shambles. I heard a lot of screaming and I saw one man who I think had his leg blown off.’

Although half a century has passed since the bombing, Hilton Park Lane staff are still asked about it, with relatives or friends of those injured or those interested in the history of the Troubles visiting the site of the tragedy.

A current hotel staff member told Metro: ‘We still get the occasional person coming to look at the hotel and ask about the bomb. One guy said a relative had been injured badly and never got over it.

Police Forensic officers searching through debris caused by the bomb blast (Picture: Shutterstock)

‘He was traumatised, said his relative had PTSD had severe physical images replaying in his mind over and over.’

Another worker said: ‘We had some history students coming to see the place the bomb went off. They were doing a project for college. They were asking questions but it was so long ago all the staff are different and time moves on.

‘It’s weird to think that happened here in such a nice bit of London in a famous hotel.’

Among those injured in the blast were an American general and two Lebanese businessmen. The bombing followed another hotel attack in October 1984 in which the IRA triggered a device at the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party conference with prime minister Margaret Thatcher the main target. Five people were killed in the blast. 

Meanwhile the Hilton Park Lane bombing, along with the 2005 London attacks which claimed 52 lives, are stark reminders of the capital’s importance as a target for enemies of the British government.

A blown out windows of a Shop opposite The Hilton Hotel (Picture: Shutterstock)

Under 50 metres from the Hilton is the memorial of 52 steel pillars commemorating those killed in 2005. It is directly opposite the hotel and a reminder of the pain and suffering triggered by terror attacks on the capital.

Tourist Maria Bray, one of the thousands who visit the memorial every year told Metro: ‘I did not know about the Hilton bombing but brought the children to the memorial for the London bombings in 2005.

‘I lived in London when that happened and it was deeply shocking. I brought my children here as I wanted to pay my respects and show them a lesson in history and how people came together after a terrible tragedy.’

Workers say that people still come and visit the hotel decades later to pay tribute to those who died (Picture: Shutterstock)

More recently, in June 2017, eight were killed in a terror attack by knife-wielding attackers who ploughed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before rampaging through Borough Market.

The charity Survivors Against Terror, which supports those affected by terrorism, told Metro: ‘At Survivors Against Terror, we recognise how difficult all anniversaries can be, how emotions are brought no matter how far away the incident was, the idea of ‘getting over something’ doesn’t exist, but instead often people affected in any terror attack are left to find ways to cope with our new reality.

‘We are working together to use our stories to bring about more support and change for victims, bereaved and survivors.’

Alex Marshall, survivor of the 2005 attack, said anniversaries like that of the Hilton attack come and go but the pain remains.

He said: ‘Sometimes I feel alright. Other years, I just don’t feel right—and I can’t put my finger on why. It’s under the skin, always there.

‘I don’t know if I’ll ever get closure. I think it’s just a word the government or others use to draw line under it and move on.’

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