Child, 8, finds 'viable' pipe bomb
TWO Antrim primary schools have been targeted in separate security alerts.
The first alert occurred at St Comgall's Primary School on the Ballymena Road when an eight-year-old boy found a suspicious object, confirmed to be a viable pipe bomb, and carried it into a classroom. Pupils were evacuated to a local church hall.
Later on Monday morning, a search of St Joseph's Primary School on the Greystone Road commenced when a phone warning was received by a local media outlet. Pupils, including a nursery section, were evacuated to a nearby parish hall.
Nothing was found in relation to this alert, a PSNI spokeswoman confirmed.
A senior police officer expressed his "disgust" at the actions of those responsible for the alerts.
Chief Inspector Simon Walls said: "To target the general public is never acceptable by any means but to take away the secure feelings of innocent children and to put them at risk like this is beyond despicable.
"It is by sheer good fortune that we are not dealing with a severely injured child right now."
He added: "The people who carry out these senseless acts show a total disregard for their fellow man and are not part of the society within which the majority of people of Northern Ireland wish to live."
Urging anyone with information to contact the police, education minister Caitriona Ruane said: "Whoever caused these alerts must be strongly condemned for putting lives at risk. At the start of a new school year, when some children are attending for the first time, this has caused unnecessary fear and disruption in settings which should give a sense of safety to the children and all school staff."
South Antrim Alliance MLA David Ford said: "These are deeply worrying developments. It is appalling to even think that someone might be so irresponsible as to place objects of this nature near schools."
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Monday 28 May 2012
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