A man was appearing in court today in connection with the letter bomb sent to a Pitsea teenager earlier this week.

Martin James Diggines, 37, has been charged with attempted murder and attempted to pervert the course of justice. Diggines, unemployed, of Cunningham Rise, North Weald, was to appear before Basildon magistrates this morning.

On Monday Kelly Diggines and her baby son escaped injury when a parcel bomb exploded in their home.

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