New IRA has invented car bomb ‘plate’

THE New IRA has developed a “crude” but “very effective” car bomb detonator, police have warned.

A pressure plate is used to detonate the bomb as the car is driven over it.

The method was used by dissident republicans who targeted an off-duty police officer in Londonderry in February.

The bomb, at the officer’s home, failed to go off.

PSNI Det Supt John McVea said: “It is concerning that they have access to high explosives and the skills to develop their own homemade method of detonation.”

He said the pressure plate helped the New IRA got round the difficulty in fixing bombs with magnets due to the amount of plastic in modern cars.