15/03/2011

West Belfast 'Suspect Object Viable'

There was a security alert in west Belfast today after a suspicious object was discovered in Ardmoulin Place earlier on Tuesday.

Army bomb experts were tasked to the scene and a number of homes were evacuated and the police later said the object was a "small viable device" and that is had been removed for further examination.

This afternoon, a small number of people are still unable to return to their homes and a road closure remains in place as a follow-up operation continued.

Earlier, Sinn Fein MLA for West Belfast, Fra McCann, along with local councillor Jim McVeigh, visited the location - in the Divis area - which has been severely disrupted by the discovery of a suspicious object.

Mr McCann said: "The disruption to this community is wholly unacceptable. This device has caused families to be moved from their homes, the local community center to close and two funerals have had to be moved from St Peter's Cathedral to St Paul's chapel.

"Alongside this the comings and goings for schools and people traveling to work have also been affected," the republican politician fumed.

"Whoever has left this device needs to stop attacking this community. The people living here, who spend their lives within the local area, do not want this disruption nor any type of attack happening," he said.

"This community has suffered in the past but is working hard to move on. It's high time others who think that they have something to offer by forcing people to leave their homes and getting community centers and chapels closed realised that they are not welcome."

(BMcC/KMcA)

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