Terror Alerts On Eve Of Queen's Irish Visit

Republican terrorists have kept the police guessing as a bomb threat - apparently by Irish dissidents - was made in London.

This was the first such 'coded warning' outside Northern Ireland in 10 years, officials said.

Whitehall officials said the call with the coded warning came from a number in the Irish Republic on Sunday evening.

Later, on Monday, streets around the Mall were closed morning in a security alert, which police said was unrelated.

The warning came ahead of the Queen's historic visit to the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, amid a massive security operation.

A Home Office spokesman said the UK faced a "real and serious threat from terrorism".

"The threat level to Great Britain from Northern Irish-related terrorism remains at substantial, which means that an attack is a strong possibility.

Overnight, in the Irish Republic itself - and despite security analysis that indicated there wouldn't be any terrorist bombing in the Irish State - a bomb has been planted on a Dublin-bound bus overnight.

Irish Army bomb disposal officers later dealt with the 'viable device' after it were detected close to Dublin.

It came just hours before the Queen was due to arrive in the city on an historic four-day visit.

Described by Gardaí as an improvised explosive device, it was found in the luggage compartment of the bus on the outskirts of Maynooth early on Monday morning.

The bus was from Co Mayo, bound for Dublin.

Meanwhile, in a second security alert, a suspect package found near the Luas line at Davitt Road, Inchicore, was examined and found to be a hoax.

Also last night, just across the Irish border in Londonderry, three masked men - one armed with a gun - boarded a bus on the Glengalliagh Road at around 10.30pm.

They ordered the sole passenger off and the driver was told to move the bus into the middle of the road and it was then set on fire.

The PSNI is investigating and have asked for anyone with information to contact them as soon as possible.

"There is a continuing need for vigilance and the public should report any suspicious activity to the police."

(BMcC/GK)