Hoax alerts spark furious backlash
POITICIANS have slammed dissident republicans for causing travel chaos during a day of security alerts on Friday.
Thousands of motorists and commuters were caught on gridlocked roads in Belfast and Londonderry.
And hundreds of Ireland rugby fans have been forced to change their travel arrangements, after three sold-out trains scheduled for today's Six Nations clash in Dublin were cancelled last night.
The railway line close to Newry had to be closed early in the morning and police later discovered a suspicious object between Killeen and Meigh.
Terrorists launched the first of their 18 alerts at 6.30am in Londonderry, when masked and armed men hi-jacked a van from a family with two young children which they later abandoned outside a courthouse in the city.
Later, around 2.40pm, two masked men boarded a bus in the Finaghy Road North area of Belfast.
The males threatened the driver and left a suspicious object on the vehicle. The object was later declared to a deliberate hoax.
Many of the main routes into Belfast including the M1 and M2 remained gridlocked until late evening, as police examined various hoaxes across the city.
North Belfast MP, Nigel Dodds said he was "appalled" by the security alerts.
"It is appalling to think that there are those who think they can achieve anything by this outrageous behaviour," he said.
"These people have nothing to offer with this throwback republican tactic. The only people they are harming are innocent hard-working people, and they will only have galvanised people's determination to move on."
In Belfast, alerts at Malone Road, Sandyknowes Roundabout, Fort-william Roundabout, Wandsworth Road, Mount Street South and Stockman's lane areas were declared hoaxes.
Further alerts at Knockbreda and Albertbridge Road were also declared hoaxes.
Shortly after 4.15pm, a shopping centre at Wellington Street in Ballymena, was closed while a search was carried out. Again, nothing suspicious was found.
Around 1,200 rugby fans who had all booked a place on three sold-out "rugby special" trains laid on for today's Ireland v Scotland championship match at Croke Park, have been offered an alternative bus service.
"It is unlikely that normal services will have resumed before tomorrow's match," a company spokeswoman said.
Alliance MLA Naomi Long condemned those behind the hoaxes, which she said were designed for "maximum disruption".
"A small number of individuals want to create fear and chaos but they will not succeed," said the East Belfast Assembly member.
"People want peace, not chaos and if everyone stands united in countering this threat, we will overcome it."
Dr Alasdair McDonnell from the SDLP said the terrorists had "no respect or regard".
"They have stopped people getting home from work and children returning from school. Whatever cause those responsible think they are serving, they need to know that their methods today are resented and rejected by the people of this city," said the South Belfast MP.
Meanwhile, six men were arrested in relation to suspected dissident republican activity after the vehicle they were travelling in was stopped in the Stewartstown area of Co Tyrone during the early hours of yesterday morning.
Police say they are investigating a number of lines of inquiry, one of which is a possible link to an earlier hi-jacking in Ballyronan.
All six remain in custody.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
