Smoke bomb 'prank' hits Queen St bookshop

By Naomi Larkin

A smoke bomb caused a minor Apec security scare at Whitcoulls Corner bookshop on Queen St yesterday.

Police said a small plastic container, probably filled with a sulphur substance, was put on the floor of the shop and set alight just after 2 pm.

The bomb, which filled the science fiction and fiction sections of the shop with smoke, was stamped out by one of the staff.

It caused some damage to a small square of carpet and the wooden lining of the bookshelves, but no one was injured.

"I think it's more of a childish prank than related to Apec," said Sergeant John Potts.

However, the Fire Service's Parnell station officer, Steve Regelous, said the service was investigating why the bomb had not triggered the store's fire alarm system.

He said the building was not evacuated because of the failure of the alarm.

"It caused a lot of smoke and we want to know why the alarm was not activated."

In an earlier incident, a toy gun prompted another security alert at the Hyatt Regency Hotel where Australian Prime Minister John Howard was due to check in for Apec. Police officers in a car parked near the hotel spotted the weapon.

Senior Sergeant Dave Pearson said no armed police were called out.

It was later found that the toy weapon belonged to the child of a woman working at the hotel.