Police are investigating reports of two suspicious devices being left in the Ardoyne Road and Antrim Road areas of north Belfast. Press Eye - 12th February

Loyalist paramilitaries are responsible for security alerts at a school and a Sinn Fein constituency office in north Belfast, it has been claimed

Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly, who sits on the Policing Board, said the PSNI contacted him to say they had reports of an explosive device being left in the grounds of the Sinn Fein office on the Antrim Road.

He said there is also a security alert at Holy Cross Girls School on the Ardoyne Road.

"The targeting of a primary school in this way is despicable and regardless of whether there was a device or not the disruption and anxiety it will have caused to young children and staff must be condemned," Mr Kelly said.

"The police have told me that they believe it was loyalists who were responsible for both incidents.

"They are trying to drag our society back and trying to deter public representatives from their work but they will not succeed.

"Sinn Féin will not be deterred and we will continue to serve the community and to pursue our political objectives."

Police said they received a first report that a device had been left in the vicinity of a school on Ardoyne Road, while the second report was about a device being left in the vicinity of premises on the Antrim Road.

Police conducted searches of the Antrim Road, no device was located. No roads were closed and no homes or businesses were evacuated.

Police are still at the security alert in the Ardoyne Road area where searches are ongoing.

No roads have been closed and no one has been evacuated.

Inspector Uel Boyd said: “We will aim to keep any disruption to a minimum, but our priority is keeping people safe and we will not take any chances.

“We will bring you more details as soon as possible and I would urge the public to be vigilant.

"To the local community, and to people travelling through the area, if you come across anything suspicious, or that looks out of the ordinary, do not touch it and please contact us immediately on 101.”

Belfast Telegraph