Pipe bomb trovata a West Belfast
Viable device caused Belfast alert
Police have said a viable pipe bomb was found during a security alert in west Belfast.
Glenmeen Close, in the Hannahstown area was closed from around lunchtime on Monday following the discovery of a suspicious object in the garden of a house.
Police cordoned off the area and army bomb disposal experts were sent to the scene.
Following a lengthy examination the device was declared a viable pipe bomb and the security cordon lifted just before 7pm.
The street has re-opened and the device has been taken away for further forensic examination.
West Belfast Sinn Féin Councillor Arder Carson has slammed those responsible for leaving the viable device.
“Whoever was responsible for leaving this device has endangered local families living in the estate,” he said.
“It is a viable device and could have gone off at any time. This is completely reckless and is done with total disregard for local people, many who have had to leave their homes.
“Those behind the leaving of this device will once again be invisible in explaining to this community their actions. They continuously fail to do so.
“Those responsible have succeeded in yet again causing further disruption for this community while they carry on their visionless agenda, which is becoming more and more self-defeating.”
Local SDLP Councillor Tim Attwood also has hit out at those behind the alert.
“Those behind the cynical attack on this community continue to prove that they have nothing to offer other than senseless disturbance to the decent people of Belfast who want nothing more than to go about their business without the fear of security cordons and road closures,” Mr Attwood said.
“I want to commend the PSNI for their ongoing work to make our city safe and allow people to return to normality as soon as possible and would appeal to anyone with information to contact the police immediately.”