A security alert at a training ground used by East Belfast GAC has been declared a hoax with police saying they are treating the incident as a 'sectarian hate crime'.
Police said they received an anonymous call last night that multiple explosive devices had been planted at Henry Jones Playing Fields in the Castlereagh Hills, with the club forced to abandon training that was taking place.
A telephone box close to the grounds has been forensically examined.
Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts said; “At 8pm yesterday evening, Wednesday 5th August, police received an anonymous call that a number of explosive devices had been left at playing fields at Church Road in Castlereagh.
“Officers attended, liaised with the local GAA team using the facility, closed the site and maintained a safety cordon overnight until a full search was carried out this morning. Nothing untoward was found and the facility has re-opened.
“We have launched an investigation into the incident, which we are treating as a sectarian hate crime and have forensically examined a nearby public telephone box.
"I would also ask anyone who was in the area at the time who saw anyone acting suspiciously, or anyone with information which could help our investigation, to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1693 05/08/20."
