POLICE SERVICE of Northern Ireland detectives are co-operating with Scottish police seeking those who sent parcel bombs to Celtic football club manager Neil Lennon.
There had been no evidence up to last night, however, to suggest loyalist paramilitaries were involved.
Four “crude but viable devices” were sent over a six-week period from early March to Northern Ireland-born Lennon, his lawyer Paul McBride and recently-retired Labour politician Trish Godman, who wore a Celtic jersey on her last day in the Scottish parliament.
The possibility that Northern loyalist paramilitaries were involved in the latest incidents is being taken seriously since Lennon and two Northern Irish Celtic players, Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt, were sent bullets in the post from Northern Ireland in January.
Initially police thought the devices were hoaxes, but it became clear after tests that they would have exploded or at least burst into flames if brought into contact with air.
All except one of the parcels, all sent from Scottish post boxes, were stopped from reaching their intended victims by Royal Mail staff, although Strathclyde Police have not revealed why sorting office staff became suspicious.
Tensions have been high between some fans of the bitterly-divided clubs Celtic and Glasgow Rangers following a touchline confrontation between Lennon and Rangers’ assistant manage Ally McCoist during a Scottish Cup tie last month. The first parcel was sent two days later.
Lennon was given a four-match touchline ban for the incident, on top of an earlier ban of similar duration following a furious encounter with referee Dougie McDonald, who awarded a penalty to Celtic during a match against Dundee United last October and then changed his mind.
Even though they both knew of the parcel bomb threat last week, Lennon and his lawyer Paul McBride then accused the Scottish Football Association of bias after it overturned McCoist’s two-match touchline ban, while two Rangers’ players escaped with just fines.
The latest incidents come just weeks after Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond called both clubs together for a summit to find ways of cutting sectarianism and violence at their matches, which take place four times a season.
Condemning the parcel bombs, Mr Salmond blamed “a lunatic fringe” for “despicable and cowardly” actions.