Dissidents blamed for Belfast bus hijacking and bomb scare

Bomb disposal experts have carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious package planted on board a bus by suspected dissident republicans in Belfast this morning.

The Metro bus was hijacked at around 7am by two men who left the package on board and ordered the driver to take it to Glengormley Orange arch.

The driver told the five passengers on board to get off the vehicle and then drove to the Orange arch before calling the police.

The incident sparked a major security alert, with traffic being diverted away from the area.

Bomb disposal experts subsequently carried out a controlled explosion on the suspicious package, but it remains unclear whether it was a hoax or a viable explosive device.

The Orange arch in Glengormley has been controversial in recent years. The area's Catholic population has grown and some object to its presence in the centre of the main shopping area.

Five hundred Orangemen are due to take part in a small Twelfth parade in Glengormley this evening.