Hoax Bombs Paralyse NI Artery Date: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 Source: Cliff Caswell SecurityOracle.com

Specialist officers from the British Army were pressed into the front line of another major security incident after a bomb alert closed down a major artery into Belfast. A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that the busy West Link – the meeting point of two motorways – was shut for two hours after suspected bombs were discovered on the city bound carriageway at 10:30 hours yesterday. She said that a telephone warning that devices had been placed had been received. The soldiers assisted police officers at the scene. The alert ended at 12:40 hours when the Army specialists established that the devices were all a hoax. The latest alert comes in the wake of figures released by the police, which show a worrying trend in the pattern of dissident Republican attacks and hoaxes. Between July 1 and August 16, there were ten incidents in which a bomb exploded and seven where a device was made safe. Between April and the end of July there were 51 hoaxes. The attacks have included the attempted murder of a PSNI officer, a British Army soldier and a police employee by boob traps placed on their cars. Terry Spence, Chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland – which represents rank-and-file police officer has called for extra personnel in the wake of latest attacks. He pointed out that the police did not have the benefit of being able to call for mutual aid and no longer had the comprehensive support previously provided by the Army. Mr Spence also argued that the de-fortification of police stations and the dismantling of the counter-terrorism infrastructure meant criminals were now exploiting weaknesses.   Courtesy of SecurityOracle.com - The Secury Industry's Portal