We Had No Idea We Were Living in a 7/7 Bomb Factory 18 Alexandra Grove, Hyde Park, Leeds

When Melika and her family moved into their flat on Alexandra Grove in Hyde Park, Leeds, they had no idea of its terrifying past. It wasn’t until a journalist knocked on their door that they learned the truth: their home was once used as a bomb-making factory by the terrorists behind the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

The 7/7 attacks were the first suicide bombings on British soil. Four men from West Yorkshire, Mohammed Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain, and Germaine Lindsay, killed 52 people and injured over 700 when they detonated explosives on London’s transport system. What many don’t know is that their deadly plans were made and prepared in a quiet flat in Leeds.

At the time of the attacks, Melika was just a baby, and many of the students now living in the area weren’t even born. But for long-time residents, the memories are vivid.

Joanne Smith, 42, remembers the day police discovered the bomb-making materials. The flat was left in a terrible state. Chemicals had blistered the walls and killed plants outside the windows. Foul-smelling sludge, later confirmed to be explosive material, was left in the bath and containers. Joanne’s aunt, who lived nearby, had to be evacuated to a leisure centre for safety.

“It was shocking to know they were making bombs just down the road,” Joanne said. “It made me mistrustful for a while. Everyone felt uneasy.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, was also forced to leave his home temporarily. “We don’t want to keep remembering, but how can we forget when it happened so close to us? It was hard to accept that so many innocent people died.”

Melika has since come to terms with the flat’s history. She says she feels safe in Hyde Park and enjoys living in the area. “People are friendly here. No one bothers us,” she said.

Still, she struggles to understand the bombers’ motives. “Why did they do it? What was the reason?”

The Netflix documentary Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers has brought the horrific events back into the public eye, reminding both older and newer residents of Hyde Park of the tragedy’s deep scars.

Though the area faces challenges today, including petty crime, fly-tipping, and occasional violence, many residents say they’ve learned to move on while quietly carrying the weight of what happened there.

As Melika puts it, “It’s part of the past now. But it still matters.”