Students back in class after blast

Student police officers in the North are back in class after a bomb explosion outside their training base earlier.

Superintendent Roy Fleming, head of the Garnerville Training College in east Belfast, paid tribute to the police service trainees after the blast outside a back gate.

He said: ‘‘The students’ reaction was very commendable. They remained calm and cool as one would expect of trainee police officers.

‘‘I have spoken to them today and their resolve is unshaken and they are looking forward to continuing their training and graduating into the police service.’’

About 100 of the 250 student officers at Garnerville were on the base when the alarm was raised.

They were evacuated from the accommodation block some distance from the rear gate to another part of the complex.

Mr Fleming said: ‘‘Today normal routine has been re-established and students are all back in class.’’

He revealed that people living in the area around the college had rung him to inquire after the students and to offer them their best wishes following the attack.

However, despite the newest recruits having only been in the college since Easter Sunday, Mr Fleming said he had received not one call from worried parents.

There was no damage inside the base though the small bomb did damage the gate.

Mr Fleming condemned those responsible saying: ‘‘Activities of those who carried out the attack stand in stark contrast to the work that goes on in the college.’’

The alarm was raised when a local police station received an anonymous call some time after 11pm reporting suspicious activity around the perimeter of the training college.

Police who went to the scene found the device at the rear gate prior to its explosion. No-one was injured.

The superintendent appealed for the anonymous caller to make contact again and also asked anyone who noticed suspicious activity either last night or in the days before around the base to contact police.

The area where the bomb exploded remained sealed off today and the superintendent said CCTV cameras overlooking the bomb site would be examined and a review of security arrangements at the training college carried out as a matter of course.