‘Improvised weapon’ caused evacuation of primary school, police say

Holy Cross Boys School, in north Belfast, was evacutated after the principal found the suspect device on the school grounds.

In a short statement, principal Kevin McArevey said: “We were advised by the police to leave the building straight away.”

PSNI Belfast District Commander Jonathan Roberts described the cause of the security alert as an “improvised weapon”.

“This afternoon police have attended the report of a suspicious object found within the grounds of Holy Cross Boys Primary School in north Belfast,” he told a press conference at Musgrave Street police station.

“Following police attending the incident we have recovered what we have at this stage assessed to be a improvised weapon which has the potential to fire a high calibre round.

“Our working theory at this time is that this weapon was most likely to have been left there by dissident republican terrorists and it was probably destined to be used in an attempt to kill or seriously injure police officers who are serving and protecting the community of north Belfast.”

SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said: “This is disgraceful. To create a device and then hide it in the grounds of a primary school shows how low these people will go and the complete disregard and disrespect they have for the community. T hey’re happy to put children, parents and school staff at risk.

“No principal and no school should have to experience this. I’ve been in touch with Mr McArevey to offer our full support.”

She continued: “This school is a proud part of the heart of the community in Ardoyne; the boys who go to it are the future. The thugs behind this have nothing to offer the people of Ardoyne and they will not drag us back to the past.”

Chief Superintendent Roberts continued: “I would like to first of all apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused to the school children attending the school, to the parents of those children, to the school staff and the wider community.

“I hope they will understand and accept that it is necessary that we be absolutely satisfied that there is no ongoing risk to children in the immediate area. It is unfortunately the case that there will be further disruption to the school tomorrow morning until we can absolutely satisfy ourselves that there is no risk.

“I would like to say that this is an act of utmost recklessness and a highly stupid act, the people that have done this do not represent any kind of cause, they do not represent any section of the community. What they have done is endanger the lives of children.

“The device was left in the immediate area where the youngest children would be playing during the course of the school day. It’s a very very dangerous act and I would appeal for anybody who has any information to contact the police.

“Our terrorism investigation unit have launched an investigation into the weapon and its history and who may have built it and who left it there.

“It’s very important, particularly given the circumstances of where it was left in the immediate area where children were playing, that anyone with information contacts police please.”