Police 'thankful' young child escaped injury after playing close to Newry pipe bomb find

Police have said a young child was playing next to a pipe bomb which was found in Newry on Wednesday.

The PSNI was called to the Barcroft Park area of Newry after receiving a report of a suspicious object in a front garden of a house.

A number of residents were evacuated from their homes and the bomb taken away for examination.

Detective Inspector Duffield said: “A young child was playing in the area in which the device was found and we are thankful that he escaped any injury. However we are aware that the consequences of leaving this in the area could have been serious.

Inspector Duffield also confirmed that the person whose garden the bomb was found in had only moved into the property a few days earlier, and that the ordeal had "been a very distressing experience for her."

Detectives are continuing to appeal for information about the pipe bomb and they are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

You can contact the police on 101, quoting reference number 1525 01/02/23, or submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”

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