OMAGH BOMB HOAXES LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE
Omagh bomb hoaxes life and death issue police warn
POLICE in Omagh were inundated with calls from worried people after a string of hoax bomb alerts on Monday evening brought the town to a standstill.
At 4.30pm a male caller with a local accent rang police to tell them a bomb had been left in a car outside Supervalu.
Police cleared and searched the Market Street, area and declared the bomb a hoax at 5.20pm.
The next alert came at 5.40prn when a male caller, again with a local accent, contacted police to tell them a bomb would explode in 10 minutes at Market Street.
After clearing and searching the area, police declared the call a hoax at 7.40pm.
At 7.30 a male caller with a local accent rang police to say a bomb had been placed 200 yards from a shop in Campsie.
The area was cleared and checked, and the call was declared a hoax several hours later.
Superintendent James Baxter, sub-divisional commander in Omagh RUC Station, said his office had been inundated with calls from traders and local people whose businesses and lives were disrupted by the calls.
He said: "We must treat this seriously. We are dealing with life and death issues, and would hope that someone in the community knows who is doing this, and would come forward and tell us."
West Tyrone UUP Assembly member, Mr Derek Hussey, said: "Those responsible for the most recent bomb hoax in Omagh, and many others throughout Northern Ireland are to be unequivocally condemned for their actions.
"With particular reference to the Omagh incident, those responsible are well aware of the pain and trauma rekindled within the whole community by such actions.
"Democrats express their desires through the ballot box without recourse to violence and such incidents further emphasis the need for all the materials of terror to be taken out of our society."
West Tyrone DUP Assembly member, Mr Oliver Gibson, said: "Omagh was brought to a total standstill by the callousness of the terrorists who have demonstrated that they should never have been in government and should not be treated as democrats.
"They have done everything possible to remind the people of Omagh of the horror of August 15, 1998, and last night simply reinforced that terror into the hearts and minds of the whole Omagh community," he said.
POLICE in Omagh were inundated with calls from worried people after a string of hoax bomb alerts on Monday evening brought the town to a standstill.
At 4.30pm a male caller with a local accent rang police to tell them a bomb had been left in a car outside Supervalu.
Police cleared and searched the Market Street, area and declared the bomb a hoax at 5.20pm.
The next alert came at 5.40prn when a male caller, again with a local accent, contacted police to tell them a bomb would explode in 10 minutes at Market Street.
After clearing and searching the area, police declared the call a hoax at 7.40pm.
At 7.30 a male caller with a local accent rang police to say a bomb had been placed 200 yards from a shop in Campsie.
The area was cleared and checked, and the call was declared a hoax several hours later.
Superintendent James Baxter, sub-divisional commander in Omagh RUC Station, said his office had been inundated with calls from traders and local people whose businesses and lives were disrupted by the calls.
He said: "We must treat this seriously. We are dealing with life and death issues, and would hope that someone in the community knows who is doing this, and would come forward and tell us."
West Tyrone UUP Assembly member, Mr Derek Hussey, said: "Those responsible for the most recent bomb hoax in Omagh, and many others throughout Northern Ireland are to be unequivocally condemned for their actions.
"With particular reference to the Omagh incident, those responsible are well aware of the pain and trauma rekindled within the whole community by such actions.
"Democrats express their desires through the ballot box without recourse to violence and such incidents further emphasis the need for all the materials of terror to be taken out of our society."
West Tyrone DUP Assembly member, Mr Oliver Gibson, said: "Omagh was brought to a total standstill by the callousness of the terrorists who have demonstrated that they should never have been in government and should not be treated as democrats.
"They have done everything possible to remind the people of Omagh of the horror of August 15, 1998, and last night simply reinforced that terror into the hearts and minds of the whole Omagh community," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1432
Published Date: 17-Feb-00
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