PSNI halt '500lbs of hatred' in Newry

A massive 500lb bomb has been discovered in Newry packed in a wheelie bin in a van stolen from Co Kildare.

The device, which could have caused a massacre on the scale of the Omagh bombing, was hidden in the vehicle which was taken from Maynooth in January of this year and had Donegal licence plates attached.

It was found on the main Dublin to Belfast Road near Newry on Thursday and was made safe last night.

Police believe the van may have been abandoned because of an unrelated security alert and that a main town centre in the North was the target.

Gardaí and the PSNI are working together to try and track the vehicle's movements in the run up to the discovery and are blaming dissident groups for the incident.

Speaking outside Newry PSNI station a short time ago, District Commander Alasdair Robinson said the bomb could have caused carnage.

Chief Superintendent Robinson said poor warnings from the gang responsible had meant police only located the device after the van was spotted by a member of the public.

But he issued a warning to people to observe police cordons after motorists removed traffic cones, or drove over them, causing hundreds of other unsuspecting vehicles to drive right through the bomb scene.

The senior officer said the stolen blue Ford Transit van had a domestic wheelie bin in the back containing 500lbs of homemade explosives.

He added that the bomb could have caused “huge devastation and loss of life”.

Policing Board member Jonathan Bell compared the failed attack to the infamous bombing of the Co Tyrone town.

The DUP representative added: “500lbs of explosives were planted to kill and we could have had another example of mass murder on our hands today.

“Just as last week we had many children and families running past the explosive device that robbed our society of the life of a talented young officer, so today we could have had serious fatalities.

“As our police raise their activities commensurate with the threat they face, so we must give them our full support.”

Mr Bell said the bombers had planted "500lbs of hatred aimed at murder".

“Had this device exploded the consequences are almost too horrible to contemplate,” he said.

Acting chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board Brian Rea also condemned those responsible for the van bomb.

He said: “The purpose of this bomb was to cause death and destruction. The public and political revulsion at the murder of Constable Kerr clearly shows that the people of Northern Ireland do not want any more devastation inflicted on our community and our police service.

“I would urge anyone with information on this van bomb or last week’s murder to bring it to the police.”