A POLICE review of the force’s response to a major car bomb incident has concluded it was “absolutely appropriate”.

The explosion in Hartlepool, which killed 58-year-old David Bagley, was one of the biggest incidents Cleveland Police have dealt with in recent years.

Large parts of the town were sealed off as a result of the bomb and people living in flats at Hartlepool Marina – where Mr Bagley owned a property – were evacuated.

Asked if the force had examined their response on the day, Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard said: “Major incidents are always debriefed to establish whether there is any learning.

“Given the nature and circumstances of the incident, we believe the police response was absolutely appropriate.”

He was unable to say exactly how many officers took part in the operation for tactical reasons, but said “appropriate resources” were put in place to deal with the incident.

Mr Bagley, a former aerospace worker, blew himself up with a home-made bomb as he sat in his Nissan Micra car.

Police inquiries are continuing into how the bomb used to detonate the explosion was created.

In notes left at his flat, he wrote that he had chosen a remote location, near the disused Steetley chemical works, in Old Cemetery Road, so as not to injure anyone else.

He apologised for his actions in the notes and said the explosion was not a terrorist incident.

Some observers have questioned why it took so long to enter Mr Bagley’s flat, following the arrival of the bomb squad at the Navigation Point flats complex.

Mr Bonnard said: “Our priority was the safety of members of the public and emergency services personnel working on the incident and clearly we had to make sure that the flat was safe to enter before any searches took place.”

On Wednesday, Hartlepool Coroner Malcolm Donnelly said “meticulous planning”

had been involved in Mr Bagley’s death and ruled that he had killed himself.

Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond said he had been assured by both the police and the council’s reaction to events.

He said: “Our emergency planning unit is highly thought of nationally and we do a lot of training and exercises for potential incidents that could happen.”