Sinn Féin 'will not be intimidated' after pipe bomb left outside office

An image of Dáire Hughes and Liz Kimmins. Hughes has short dark hair and glasses and is wearing a dark blue suit and white shirt. Kimmins, a woman with straight, shoulder-length light brown hair. She is wearing a white blouse and red lipstick. There is a window and pillars behind them.Sinn Féin

The device was left outside the constituency offices of MP Dáire Hughes and NI Infrastructure Minster Liz Kimmins

Eimear Flanagan
BBC News NI

A Sinn Féin MP has said his party "will not be intimidated" after a viable explosive device was found outside his party's constituency office in Newry city centre.

The pipe bomb-type device was left at the office shared by Newry and Armagh MP Dáire Hughes and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins in Monaghan Street.

Army ammunition technical officers (ATO) made the device safe and it has been taken away for further examination.

A police cordon has been removed.

Hughes described it as an attack on democracy and a "disgraceful and cowardly act designed to endanger lives and cause major disruption".

Three shop fronts on a high-street. The middle one is a Sinn Fein office. It has a green front with white writing. There are two cars parked outside. Above the shops all the buildings have windows. There is also a parking metre between the two cars.

A viable device was found outside a Sinn Féin office in Newry city centre

"To those behind this attack, Sinn Féin will not be intimidated," he said, in a statement.

"We will continue to represent the community without fear or hesitation.

"Our immediate focus is the safety of local residents, our staff, and all who live and work in the area."

The PSNI said they received a report of a suspicious object in Monaghan Street on Sunday night, shortly before midnight.

ATO examined the object and it was "declared a viable explosive device", the PSNI added.

The area was cordoned off overnight but the road has been reopened.

A PSNI inspector said: "We're grateful this morning to local people for their patience while we worked to make the area safe."

Police appealed to anyone who has dash-cam or CCTV footage from the area to contact detectives in Newry.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) assembly member Justin McNulty said he was "shocked and appalled at the news, adding that "violence and intimidation have absolutely no place in our society".

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