UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH POLICE SEAL OF THE CENTRE OF LONDON AFTER AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE IS FOUND/ BRITISH ARMY RE-INFORCEMENTS ARRIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND AFTER THE IRA BREAK THE CEASEFIRE

Record ID: 337620

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH POLICE SEAL OF THE CENTRE OF LONDON AFTER AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE IS FOUND/ BRITISH ARMY RE-INFORCEMENTS ARRIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND AFTER THE IRA BREAK THE CEASEFIRE
  • Date: 15th February 1996
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND/ RAF ALDERGROVE AIRBASE, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 15, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 15, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV AREA EVACUATED BY POLICE 0.07 2. SV POLICE ON MOBILE TELEPHONE 0.14 3. SV POLICE SEARCHING RUBBISH BINS 0.24 4. SV MAN RUNN
  • Embargoed: 1st March 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND/ RAF ALDERGROVE AIRBASE, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: EUROPE England United Kingdom LATIN AMERICA Northern Ireland
  • Reuters ID: LVA5MUQYXSICFZEYF8YSI5BGMUKV
  • Story Text: British police made safe a device found in the heart of London's theatreland after receiving several coded bomb threats on Thursday (February 15) less than a week after an IRA bomb killed two people.

    A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a series of coded warnings were received at 1230GMT and anti-terrorist squad explosives officers made safe a device in the Shaftesbury Avenue area.

    Police said they had received several warnings carrying a recognised code word, usually meant to refer to the IRA.

    Police sealed off a square mile of the West End around Piccadilly Circus, clearing cars and pedestrians from the streets, causing traffic chaos.

    It was also close to the scene of a bomb attack on the Sussex public house just off Long Acre in October 1992 in which a customer died.

    Security has been tightened in the British capital since the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ended its 17-month ceasefire last Friday and set off a huge truck bomb in the Docklands financial district, killing two people.

    The device was discovered on the day British army reinforcements were flown into Northern Ireland to join patrols to help guard against guerrilla attacks.

    Five hundred Irish Regiment soldiers were flown into RAF Aldergrove, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Belfast.

    Britain was concerned that the IRA would resume hostilities in the province and trigger a backlash by pro-British Loyalist guerrillas who have continued to honour their truce.

    The troops will be sent mainly to areas that border the Irish Republic, such as South Armagh which was dubbed "bandit country" because of ambushes on security forces during 25 years of guerrilla activity that ended with the ceasefire in 1994.


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