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PSNI warning as Antrim GAA club targeted

St Comgalls - Players unharmed - (Pic: St Comgalls GAA)
St Comgalls - Players unharmed - (Pic: St Comgalls GAA)

A security alert at an Antrim community centre has now ended.

Members of the St Comgalls senior team were training inside the Stiles Centre when suspicious objects were discovered.

The GAA players were given a police escort as British Army Technical officers were called in and removed what have been described as 'two crude non-viable devices'.

The PSNI has warned members of the public not to approach any other suspicious devices. They are treating the incident as sectarian.

Mayor of Antrim Adrian Watson of the Ulster Unionist Party expressed his anger at what he described as an 'obvious sectarian attack'.

Mr Watson said loyalists were being blamed and added: 'There is no justification at all for this.

'The local club are entitled to use whatever facilities they want, it's a community centre, it's open to all.

'It's in a mixed community and it (the attack) is a disgrace, especially since last week we had the bombing of the young PSNI officer.'Peadar Heffron

The bombing Mr Watson referred to was the attack on 33-year-old Peadar Heffron, who underwent major surgery on Tuesday during which he had his right leg amputated.

Police today returned to the scene of that attack in Randalstown to make a fresh appeal for information.

Officer Heffron was on his way into work last Friday morning when the device, which had been planted under the driver's seat of his car, exploded.

Investigating police have said that one line of inquiry is that the attack was linked to an attack in east Belfast in November.