BOMB SCARE DRAMA ENDS PEACEFULLY
THE army bomb disposal unit attended the scene of a ‘hoax’ bomb in Bray last Sunday afternoon. The suspicious device was found in the hedge of a house on Sidmonton Avenue.
THE army bomb disposal unit attended the scene of a ‘ hoax’ bomb in Bray last Sunday afternoon.
The suspicious device was found in the hedge of a house on Sidmonton Avenue.
The alarm was raised at approximately 1.20 p.m. by a man from Meath Road who was out walking.
Gardai in Bray said that the safety of the residents of the area was their primary concern.
The man who reported the device told gardai that it was a suspicious looking object.
Gardai alerted the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit who secured the scene working with gardai. A large area was sealed off, including Sidmonton Park and Sidmonton Road.
Residents of the area were not given access to their homes during the operation. People in their houses were instructed to stay away from the windows.
The device had been placed in a hedge belonging to Doug and Gay Ross. Gay said that they had taken the incident in their stride and had not been terribly scared. They never saw the item, but were told that it was quite a convincing looking device.
Mrs Ross said that the army and gardai had acted in an extremely professional manner throughout the incident. They got the all-clear at around 5 p.m. ‘We were wondering when we would be able to leave the house,’ said Mrs Ross. ‘It would all have been a huge waste of time and resources,’ she said.
The army removed the item using a robot and examined it. They were able to confirm that it contained no explosive components.
‘We are keeping an open mind,’ said Sgt John Fitzpatrick of Bray Garda Station on whether this was a deliberate hoax. He said that the matter is still very much under investigation.
He said that house-to-house enquiries have been made. Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Sidmonton Avenue prior to the authorities being notified can contact Bray Garda Station on 01 6665300, or the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.