Viable bomb under policeman's car

Dec 30 2012

A viable bomb has been found under the car of an off-duty policeman in Northern Ireland.

The booby trap device was detected around 2pm on Sunday on the vehicle parked off the busy Newtownards Road in east Belfast.

Police said the incident was a clear attempt to kill. Dissident republicans have been widely blamed for what is the latest murder bid on a member of the security forces.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said: "It is very fortunate that this device was detected before it exploded and that no-one was killed or seriously injured.

"Initial investigations would indicate that this was a viable device placed below an officer's car sometime in the last 48 hours. It was clearly intended to kill the police officer. His family and neighbours in the vicinity were also put at risk of serious harm. Obviously there are people out there who are still intent on causing murder and mayhem."

It is understood the officer discovered the bomb himself.

Newtownards Road is one of the busiest arterial routes into Belfast. The officer's home is close to PSNI headquarters at Knock and the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. Dissidents have repeatedly targeted security force members in recent years in a bid to destabilise the peace process.

Mr Hamilton appealed for anyone with information on the latest murder bid to come forward.

He said: "Attacks on police officers are attacks on the entire community and cannot be allowed to continue. We know there are people within our communities who know who did this, we know there are people out there who know exactly what is being planned.

"My plea to them is not to allow this small minority to drag us back to the past. Our belief is that this attempted murder was carried by those opposed to peace from within dissident republicanism."