Dissidents 'may be planning new British bombing campaign'

A British government security assessment has warned that dissident republicans may be planning a new offensive on mainland Britain in the run-up to the May 5 general election.

The leaked assessment expressed fears that the Real IRA or Continuity IRA could be planning attacks designed to disrupt the election.

The memo warns of a "substantial" threat from these groups, saying "reporting indicates that Irish republican dissidents are currently planning to mount attacks on the UK mainland".

It said these dissidents had used incendiary devices and small bombs to carry out recent attacks in the North.