BRANCH OFFICERS HELP IN DEBRIS SIFTING
Branch officers to help in debris sifting
By Martin Anderson
VETERAN anti-terrorist officers from London's Metropolitan police who investigated the Canary Wharf bombing have begun sifting through rubble from Omagh.
The decision to draft the officers to Northern Ireland was taken following contact between RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan and the assistant commissioner of special operations David Veness.
The Met anti-terrorist branch officers flew into Belfast yesterday to help in the painstaking search of rubble gathered from the scene of the explosion to try and identify possible evidence.
Mr Flanagan said: "Our London colleagues will be working with our own experienced officers, and report directly to Mr Anderson who is heading the task force.
"All material identified will be forwarded to the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Agency who will supervise the expert examination."
Chief superintendent Eric Anderson, the deputy assistant chief constable for crime, said: "We are facing an enormous task requiring meticulous examination of literally tons of rubble.
"This additional help represents a very significant increase in our ability to extract as quickly as humanly possible every last piece of evidence in what is a very complex jigsaw."
The investigation into the Omagh bombing is one of the largest of its type ever mounted in Northern Ireland.
By Martin Anderson
VETERAN anti-terrorist officers from London's Metropolitan police who investigated the Canary Wharf bombing have begun sifting through rubble from Omagh.
The decision to draft the officers to Northern Ireland was taken following contact between RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan and the assistant commissioner of special operations David Veness.
The Met anti-terrorist branch officers flew into Belfast yesterday to help in the painstaking search of rubble gathered from the scene of the explosion to try and identify possible evidence.
Mr Flanagan said: "Our London colleagues will be working with our own experienced officers, and report directly to Mr Anderson who is heading the task force.
"All material identified will be forwarded to the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Agency who will supervise the expert examination."
Chief superintendent Eric Anderson, the deputy assistant chief constable for crime, said: "We are facing an enormous task requiring meticulous examination of literally tons of rubble.
"This additional help represents a very significant increase in our ability to extract as quickly as humanly possible every last piece of evidence in what is a very complex jigsaw."
The investigation into the Omagh bombing is one of the largest of its type ever mounted in Northern Ireland.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0120
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.