NI sorting office evacuated as parcel bombs found

Two parcel bombs and a third suspect device were discovered in Northern Ireland’s main postal sorting office today.

The packages were discovered at various times during the night as postal workers at the Mallusk centre in Co Antrim sorted through the mail.

After the first two devices were found and made safe by the British army, staff returned to work but when the third suspect package was discovered the centre was evacuated again and closed down.

A full-scale search of the premises will be carried out later.

A police spokesman described the first two devices as “crude but viable”.

Police put out a warning for everyone across Northern Ireland to be on their guard when opening post today and said anything suspicious should immediately be reported to them.

The Royal Mail warned there would be widespread disruption to deliveries.

A police spokesman refused to say who the bombs had been addressed to but revealed they were different people and not politicians. No warnings had been received.

Meanwhile, British army bomb disposal experts were called to a post office in the Diamond at Portstewart, Co Derry, after a suspect device was found.