Fourth parcel bomb fuels terrorism fears

A FOURTH explosive parcel with ‘Love Ireland’ stamps was detonated yesterday amid fears of a New IRA terror campaign.

The suspicious package was sent to Glasgow University where a controlled explosion was carried out in the post room.

Police and fire crews descended on the campus and cleared lecture halls and libraries yesterday morning. Bomb squad specialists later blew up the parcel, and last night security sources said the package ‘looks to be linked’ to the ones in London.

There were further bomb scares at Essex University and the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh as anti-terror police issued alerts to mail sorting offices to watch out for the distinctive firebombs sent with red heart postage stamps marked ‘Love Ireland’.

The alarm was also raised over a package found at Parliament, but it was deemed non-suspicious.

On Tuesday, a device burst into flames at a Heathrow office, and two others were defused at London’s City Airport and Waterloo Station.

Police in Dublin – where the packages were apparently posted – are working with Scotland Yard to hunt the bomber, who could be linked to dissident republicans such as the New IRA – which was formed from the group responsible for the 1998 Omagh bombing.

In 2014, it claimed responsibility for seven incendiary devices that were sent to Army recruitment offices in the UK.

Dean Haydon, senior national coordinator for counter terrorism policing, said the parcels had ‘a degree of sophistication’ and were sent by someone with ‘knowledge, training, capability in how to build such a device’.

Intelligence sources in Ireland have been warning for months that Brexit could lead to an increase in terrorist activity.