Northern Ireland

Police investigations ordered into pipe bomb attack and 'viable' device left on footpath

Army Technical Officers were called in after a device was discovered outside a property on the Upper Lisburn Road on Friday. Picture by Mal McCann
Army Technical Officers were called in after a device was discovered outside a property on the Upper Lisburn Road on Friday. Picture by Mal McCann Army Technical Officers were called in after a device was discovered outside a property on the Upper Lisburn Road on Friday. Picture by Mal McCann

A PROBE is underway after a pipe bomb exploded in a car in Co Antrim.

The car had been parked close to shops on the Crebilly Road in Ballymena on Friday night.

Police officers received a report at around 11pm that a car had been set on fire.

The remains of a pipe bomb-type device was later found inside the vehicle.

Police described the incident as a "reckless act" which "had the potential to cause serious injury to anyone who was close to the car when the device detonated".

"Detectives are working to establish a motive and identify those responsible and I am appealing to anyone with information, or who noticed any suspicious activity in the area, to contact detectives," a PSNI spokesman said.

SDLP Ballymena Councillor Eugene Reid also urged anyone with information to contact police, saying the community were shocked by the incident.

“I want to place on record my thanks to police who acted quickly to make the area safe," he added.

Detectives are also investigating a separate incident on Friday evening, when a viable device was found during a security alert in Belfast.

The alert was in the Upper Lisburn Road area.

"The device was found on a footpath, where anyone - including children - could easily have come across it," a police spokesman said.

"This was a wicked and cowardly act, with potentially devastating consequences, and we are working to establish a motive and identify those responsible."