Soldier who survived IRA bomb kills children and takes own life

The bodies of Michael Pedersen, 51, Ben, seven, and six-year-old Freya were found next to a Saab 900SE convertible car in the tiny lane at Newton Stacey, near Andover, Hampshire, at 6:15pm on Sunday.

Mr Pedersen was a former army sergeant in the Household Cavalry unit that was blown up by an IRA nail bomb in Hyde Park in 1982.

Last night, the children’s  maternal grandfather, William Clifford, 67, from Buckinghamshire, said outside his daughter Erica’s home in Ashford, Middlesex: “We are obviously devastated and what we would ask is that you respect our privacy in this matter. It is extremely distressing and that is all I want to say.”

Detective Superintendent Tony Harris, of Hampshire police, said that the “tragic” incident happened while Mr Pedersen was on an arranged visit with the two children from his estranged wife.

Mr Pedersen, of Chertsey, Surrey, had taken the children to visit his father in Andover but failed to return the two youngsters to their mother by a pre-arranged time of 5pm.

The bodies were found lying behind the car by a walker, according to police.

Mr Harris said police were tracing the family of Mr Pedersen, who had two other children from a previous relationship, when his estranged wife raised the alarm at 7pm. He said that he believed the deaths happened some time that afternoon and that officers were not looking for anyone else as part of the  inquiry.

Mr Harris said: “A Home  Office pathologist visited the scene and at this time it appears the children suffered fatal stab wounds and Mr Pedersen took his own life shortly afterwards.”

He added: “They were visiting relatives in Andover, which is nearby. It was the father of Mr Pedersen, the grandfather of the children.”

Describing the incident, he added: “Any scene you go to with children involved is distressing for the officers. We have given them support and they continue to receive support. It is very tragic, it’s a dreadful loss of life, one of the most tragic cases I have had to deal with.”

Mr Harris added: “It [the scene] is very isolated and there was a person walking yesterday who notified us to the presence of the vehicle but I do not anticipate anyone else would have seen anything.”

The children’s mother was informed by a family liaison officer and was being provided with support, he said.

The 1982 bomb attack happened as Mr Pedersen’s unit was taking part in a changing of the guard ceremony.

Four soldiers and seven horses were killed in the explosion, which left Mr Pedersen’s horse Sefton seriously injured.

Despite 34 separate wounds that required eight hours of surgery, the animal survived and became famous for battling against the odds.

Sefton also became a symbol of the struggle against the IRA and won the Horse of the Year, a prize Sgt Pedersen picked up on its behalf.

A Surrey police spokesman said that the case and the force’s conduct would now be referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

He explained: “Surrey police can confirm we have had previous contact with the Pedersen  family.

“Following the sad events of Sunday 30 September, the force will be referring this contact to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for review.”