The Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice spokesperson, Tom Elliott MLA, has condemned the group responsible for sending a letter bomb to the Secretary of State, which caused the evacuation of Stormont Castle.
Mr Elliott said:
“This is the latest in a series of letter bombs which in the past week have targeted two senior Police officers including the Chief Constable, the Public Prosecution Service in Londonderry and now the Secretary of State.
When one factors in the pipe bomb attacks on Police patrols in Newtownabbey and Londonderry as well as the recent security alerts in Lurgan, Londonderry and Belfast, it is clear that republican terror groups are trying to up the ante.
These fanatics may be small in numbers and have little popular support, but that does not prevent them from presenting a threat to life, not least to the postal workers and office staff who have to handle such devices when they are sent through the mail.
It is incumbent upon the Westminster Government to make sure that the Chief Constable has all the resources and support from other agencies – including MI5 and the NCA – as well as the political will, to assist him to root out these terrorists and ensure that they cannot subvert democracy and disrupt the life of this Province and its people.”