Belfast Children Pick Up Unexploded Bomb

Two children are thought to have picked up an unexploded bomb that was thrown at a police station in west Belfast.

A pair of devices were thrown at Woodbourne Police Station on Monday night.

Police say children picked up the unexploded device and brought it to the front of the station.

The explosion happened about 10.30pm and the second bomb was found at about 11pm. It was then made safe by the Army.

Chief Superintendent George Clarke described the attack as "an attempt to kill and maim police officers".

He said: "In doing so they were absolutely reckless as to the consequences for local people and as to the consequences for those children.

"I don't think we should draw any comfort from the fact that those children appear to have brought the remnants of a device to the police station. I would still be very concerned that those children may well have picked up the unexploded device.

"These are not commercially manufactured, stable items, these are extremely volatile, very, very dangerous, utterly lethal devices which could function (explode) at any time."

Chief Superintendent Clarke said he believed dissident republicans were responsible.

"I can't see the logic in throwing bombs at the back of a police station and leaving an unexploded one for children to pick up," he said.

Ulster Unionist Policing Board spokesperson Ross Hussey said: "Last night demonstrated better than words could ever say, just how dangerous a threat these fanatics pose to the entire community and how important it is that the community helps the Police to remove this cancer from our midst.

"I utterly condemn last night's incident at Woodbourne Police Station in west Belfast, when so-called dissident republicans trod the path made for them by the Provisional IRA.

"This madness must stop. The Provisional IRA's terrorist campaign ended in failure because the Union and the unionist people could not be broken. These dissidents offer the same tactics, adopt the same mindset and their campaign will inevitably end in the same failure."

SDLP Councillors Tim Attwood and Colin Keenan condemned the attack.

Mr Attwood said: "It is an attack not just on the PSNI but on the wider west Belfast community who will be shocked and angry at this act of terror.

"It is particularly disturbing that children found a second unexploded device and carried it to PSNI officers. The lives of our young people should never be placed in such an extremely dangerous position.

"Those involved cling to the failed and deadly ways of the past. The community will resist them and need to again help the police to detect them and see they are brought to justice."

Mr Keenan added: "Following the unacceptable violence in Belfast City Centre last Friday evening this is the latest example of a minority trying to drag us back to the dark days of the past. They will not succeed in undermining the progress this society has made.

"Those behind these devices have nothing to offer the men, women and children of this community who are trying to build a positive future. They have no support and their actions will be condemned by all right thinking people."

(IT/JP)