Bomb find forces Holy Cross pupils back to counselling

CHILDREN attending a north Belfast school targeted by loyalists have been forced back into counselling following Monday’s discovery of a pipe bomb on the premises.

School governor of Holy Cross Girl's Primary School, Fr Aidan Troy, said the bomb find had revived memories of the terror pupils endured in 2001 when loyalists had picketed the school for three months.

During this time, girls as young as four were exposed to blast bomb attacks on their way to school, following a dispute between neighbouring Protestant and Catholic communities.

Fr Troy said the discovery of the pipe bomb was a huge setback for the children, many of whom had spent months in counselling and on medication in the wake of the original dispute.

"I visited several of the families on Monday night and this latest incident has put some of the children back into counselling. It brought back a lot of disturbing memories which the relative peace of the last few months had dispelled."

Fr Troy said despite the latest threat, the school would remain open to its 220 pupils and would not cave in to loyalist demands that it close in seven days.

"Obviously our first concern is the protection of the children, but we cannot give in to blackmail. We are working on the assumption that the closure warning, issued to the board of governors via the BBC on Monday, came from a splinter group and does not have mainstream loyalist support."

However, Fr Troy said they had been greatly disturbed to find that the pipe bomb was not a hoax. He added that all safety precautions had been taken.

"The police and army are searching the premises every day and we have CCTV, so the school gates are under watch all the time. I met with the parents and teachers association yesterday and they are in agreement that the school remain open unless we receive intelligence from the police that it is no longer safe," Fr Troy said.

Meanwhile, British security minister Jane Kennedy told loyalist terrorists who planted the bomb to leave children out of their sectarian campaign.

She said: "Schools must remain places of safety for children and must not be dragged into any community conflict. Every child has the right to be educated in an environment where they feel safe and ready to learn."

The Red Hand Defenders a cover name for the Ulster Defence Association has admitted it planted the device which was defused. The attack reignited fears of a renewed intimidation campaign on the school.