Firebomb bid on Newry shop

British Army bomb disposal experts tonight removed a firebomb from a shop in Newry.

British Army bomb disposal experts tonight removed a firebomb from a shop in Newry.

Shopkeepers in the city were advised to return to their premises after the device was found in a store in Hill Street.

The discovery came a day after police warned dissident republicans may be planning a new wave of firebomb attacks across Northern Ireland.

Shopowners in Derry, Ballymena and Coleraine were urged to intensify security checks after a hardware and agricultural store was destroyed in a weekend attack in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

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Linton and Robinson's premises had to be demolished after a massive blaze ripped through the building on Saturday.

Superintendent Tony Weston, who heads the Operational Command Unit in the PSNI's Rural Region, said after the Strabane attack police feared the terrorists could strike again.

Mr Weston said: "These devices put lives and property at risk and cause unnecessary disruption to all. "We would advise business owners and managers to review security measures and check premises thoroughly both during and after trading. "An extra few minutes could make a difference."

Incendiary devices were planted in shops throughout the province last month in a bid to cause mayhem during Christmas trading.

PA