Burns experts at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, are helping to treat two men hurt in the bomb blast in London's Soho.

The two victims, who have been identified as Gary Partridge and a man named only as Andy, suffered serious burns at the blast on Friday night.

Mr Partridge, of Mill Street, Colchester, is a friend of the Dykes's and of the two people killed in the bombing.

Both Mr Partridge and Andy, who are aged in their 30s, were initially taken to to University College Hospital in London before being transferred to the specialist St Andrew's Burns Unit at Broomfield.

A spokesman for Mid-Essex Hospitals Trust said yesterday: "The two are in a serious but stable condition at Broomfield Hospital's burns unit but their injuries are not life-threatening.

"We cannot predict how long they will be staying here because they will need quite a lot of surgery."

He added the burnt skin would have to be replaced and further plastic surgery would need to take place.

The two victims are able to speak to doctors at the hospital and friends were at their bedsides keeping them company during their initial recovery.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.