Device found near house blast

Police in Northern Ireland who have been investigating a blast that damaged a house in east Belfast last night have found an …

Police in Northern Ireland who have been investigating a blast that damaged a house in east Belfast last night have found an explosive device a short distance away.

Detectives are continuing to examine the scene of the Invernook Drive explosion in the Sydenham area, while they have confirmed the discovery of a device in Tamar Street.

There were no reports of injuries, but police confirmed a number of families have not been allowed to return to their homes while the cause of the Sydenham blast is investigated.

Assembly members for East Belfast have condemned the incidents and appealed for anyone with information to help the police.

Army bomb experts, who were called to Invernook Drive after the explosion at 8.40pm last night, have now left the scene, but a security cordon remains in place.

Police said they also found an explosive device in the nearby Tamar Street area at 10.50pm.

Democratic Unionist representative for the area Robin Newton  described the number
of violent incidents within the Sydenham area as of growing concern. If these incidents continue it is only a matter of time before there is a fatality," he said.

The Alliance Party's Judith Cochrane said it "must have been a frightening incident for residents in the area when it happened. If anybody has any information about this incident then I would urge them to contact the police. I would also like to praise the efforts of the emergency services who dealt with this explosion."