Belfast bomb attack: police ask public to be ‘vigilant’
Security measures are being tightened up in Belfast city centre, in the wake of a bomb explosion outside a busy restaurant on Friday night.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said security would be stepped up to prevent another attack on the city. It has called for members of the public to be “vigilant” and has asked shopkeepers and businesspeople to check their premises thoroughly before closing.
Police were in the process of evacuating thousands of people from the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast on Friday night when the bomb exploded. They were responding to a bomb warning phoned into a Belfast newsroom.
Once again we are witnessing the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city and wreaking havoc on the lives and businesses of the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Peter Robinson
The Irish News newspaper, which received the bomb warning, said the caller claimed to represent dissident Irish republican group Oglaigh na hEireann
The 60kg device is reported to have only partially exploded, and no-one was injured in the blast. Police also said that the bomb, which was inside a holdall, was left in a different place from what was said in the warning.
Police are requesting members of the public in north and west Belfast to be very vigilant over the coming weekend and report anything sus…
— PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) December 14, 2013
While police described the explosion as “small” they said the device still had the potential to inflict lethal injuries.
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have described the bomb attack as “despicable”.
Mr Robinson said: “Once again we are witnessing the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city and wreaking havoc on the lives and businesses of the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland.”
Mr McGuinness said: “Their actions have done nothing to move our society forward but instead have caused distress to local residents, disruption to Christmas revellers and loss of revenue for surrounding businesses.”
In a joint statement, both ministers appealed to anyone with information to contact police.