Today marks 40 years since an IRA bomb killed five people at The Grand hotel.

In the early hours of October 12, 1984, guests at the Brighton seafront hotel, including Conservative politicians staying there during the annual party conference, were woken by the catastrophic blast.

The target of the attack, led by provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) activist Patrick Magee, was prime minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet.

Margaret Thatcher at the conferenceMargaret Thatcher at the conference (Image: Simon Dack / The Argus) The five who lost their lives are:

  • Sir Anthony Berry, then MP for Southgate
  • Eric Taylor, North West area chairman of the Conservative Party
  • Lady Jeanne Shattock, wife of Gordon Shattock, western area chairman of the Conservative Party
  • Lady Muriel Maclean, wife of Sir Donald Maclean, president of the Scottish Conservatives
  • Roberta Wakeham, wife of Parliamentary treasury secretary John Wakeham

Over 30 people were injured.

It took two years for the hotel to be restored to its former glory. On the 25th anniversary of the attack in 2009, Lord Norman Tebbit, who was among those injured, unveiled a plaque in the hotel lobby.

Today at noon, a two-minute silence will be observed at The Grand in Kings Road to mark the anniversary.