Republican News · Thursday 14 March 2002

Sinn Féin says be vigilant after hoax bombs

Sinn Féin is accusing loyalists of attempting to heighten tension in nationalists areas after two hoax bombs were discovered at nationalist homes in Glengormley and at Artanna Street off the Lower Ormeau Road last week.

The first hoax device was discovered at the Artanna Street house on Wednesday 6 March. Sinn Féin assembly member Alex Maskey said, "in recent weeks there has been a marked increase in the number of similar devices being discovered across the North. While this device turned out to be a hoax those targeted are still left to deal with the worry that the device could have been a bomb and that loyalists singled them out. This attempt to heighten tension in nationalists areas is very destabilising and prevents people going about their daily lives free from sectarian harassment".

The second hoax bomb, discovered in Glengormley, had six-inch nails taped to it. The device was left in the home of a Catholic family in the Hightown Road area last Thursday morning 7 March.

The woman of the house was returning home from work at 7.50am when she discovered a package at the front of the house. She picked the package up and walked into the house with it. Her son, becoming suspicious, took the package from his mother and threw it out.

The man of the house explained that he was in the hall with his son when his wife carried the package in. "If that had been a bomb and it exploded we would all have been killed," he said.