Man due in court over bomb alert at Coveney peace event in north Belfast

A man is due to appear in court in Belfast charged with a string of offences related to a bomb alert at a peace event in the north of the city, attended by Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.

Detectives have charged the 40-year-old accused with preparation of terrorist acts, hijacking, and placing an article causing a bomb hoax.

He will appear before Laganside Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Simon Coveney was ushered out of the Houben Centre on the Crumlin Road by security in the wake of the security alert last Friday.

He had been addressing an event organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation.

Police had to respond to the driver of a van having been threatened by gunmen and forced to drive a device, which he believed to be a live bomb, to nearby Holy Cross Church.

The device was later found to be a hoax, but the peace event and a funeral service at Holy Cross had already experienced significant disruption.

A 48-year-old woman also arrested as part of the investigation has been released.