Letter bomb sent to PSNI chief

A letter bomb has been sent to the North’s chief constable.

The device was defused at the east Belfast headquarters of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) by bomb disposal experts.

George Hamilton is the chief constable of the force and oversees its operations against dissident republicans.

The alert was raised after a suspicious package in a brown padded bag with a white address label was received through the post at the station in Knock yesterday.

Superintendent Sam Donaldson said someone could have been seriously hurt.

“This is a mindless and foolish act that could have resulted in the serious injury of any person handling the package.

“Although we have no information to suggest there may be other similar packages in the postal system, I would encourage people to be vigilant.”

Last year a group calling itself the IRA said it had sent several letter bombs to Army recruitment offices across the UK, marking the resurgence of a terror tactic adopted by paramilitaries during the Troubles.

Four suspected explosive devices were discovered at Army careers offices in Oxford, Brighton, Canterbury and the Queensmere shopping centre in Slough.

Packets were also sent to military careers offices in Aldershot in Hampshire, Reading in Berkshire and Chatham in Kent.