Doctors battle to save officer's life
THE policeman critically injured in Friday's dissident republican car bomb attack in Randalstown is continuing to fight for his life.
Constable Peadar Heffron was blown up close to his home by a booby trap bomb under his car, as he drove to work at Woodbourne PSNI station in west Belfast.
His wife was following in a car close behind and witnessed the aftermath of the murder attempt.
It is thought the Catholic officer has serious injuries to his legs and has had vital operations to try to save his life.
He was first rushed to Antrim Area Hospital, before being moved to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
The 33-year-old is an Irish language specialist for the PSNI and captain of the PSNI GAA team.
Mr Heffron has been in the police for 10 years and recently married.
He is well-known in Irish language and GAA circles and is also related to a senior Sinn Fein party official.
Prayers were said at Sunday masses for the seriously ill PSNI officer.
His parish priest, Fr Con Boyle said the policeman was an accepted local figure.
He said: "Peadar is a very friendly, open person and would be well enough known in the Randalstown area.
"His enthusiasm for Gaelic games has been commented on already by the media. He is a practicing Catholic and would have been in our church for mass regularly. In fact he and his wife both attended mass here at St MacNissi's Church last Tuesday evening, the Vigil of the Feast of the Epiphany."
Fr Boyle said the local community was "distressed" at the attack.
"The community here is very much shocked. People struggle to take in that this has happened. We had hoped that we had moved well beyond such an atrocity.
"The prevailing reaction in the parish community is one of distress. Coming out of mass last night and today, parishioners were just saying how they feel so distressed for Peadar, for his wife, his parents and family. People wanted to be associated with prayers and good wishes for Peadar; there is just an atmosphere of support for the family," he said.
A friend, who did not wish to be named, said Constable Heffron had been "worried about his safety for a long time".
He said his decision to join the then RUC had "divided opinion in his home town at the time".
The man said: "He was threatened many times but just seemed to deal with it.
"When he moved from his parents' house in Creggan to his new home in Milltown he constantly checked his security. He never seemed to leave his front window."
Dissident republicans have been responsible for a spate of bomb attacks over the past year.
In October, a dissident group planted a bomb under a policeman's car in east Belfast.
His partner suffered minor injuries in the attack.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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