EXCLUSIVE:

Police at the scene of a UCBT device in north Belfast on Monday

A FEMALE civilian PSNI member cheated death this week when a bomb fell from underneath her car.

Belfast Daily can reveal that the Protestant woman was driving to work at a police station in eastBelfastwhen the deadly device dropped from the driver’s side of the car.

The police staff member was unaware that she was the intended target of the attack by dissident republicans.

As part of the bomb probe, all cars belonging to civilian police staff living in the northBelfastarea have been checked for any forensic clues.

A security source said: “This woman had a very lucky escape.

“This attack was not only designed to kill a civilian police member but to also provoke a response from loyalist paramilitaries.’’

On Tuesday, she was one of dozens of civilian members of the PSNI who were warned at  PSNI headquarters that they are under threat of death from dissident republicans.

Army bomb disposal unit at scene in north Belfast

It followed the discovery of a booby trap bomb found in north Belfast close to Springhill primary school.

The PSNI’s ‘C3’ Intelligence Branch believe that the target of the attack was under surveillance by dissident republicans who planted the bomb under her car at her home.

During Tuesday’s meeting staff were told to step up their personal security as dissidents were planning further attacks.

Belfast Daily revealed on Wednesday that ‘C3’Intelligence Branch believed that the target of the attack was a member of police staff based at either headquarters or at Lisnasharragh station.

Lisnasharragh is home to the Professional Standards Department but it also houses covert units involved in anti-terrorist work and surveillance of criminal gangs.

Staff were called to a meeting at Brooklyn HQ in east Belfast and told to step up their personal security as dissidents were planning further attacks.

A security source told Belfast Daily: “Staff at headquarters were briefed and told to increase their personal security around their homes and cars.

“They were not told which specific group was targeting them but the intelligence is that dissident republican groups are targeting them for attack.

“The staff were told that currently the threat level in north Belfast is ‘critical’ and they needed to be extra careful.

“In recent days, a number of vehicles were stolen in the Ardoyne and New Lodge areas but have not been traced yet.

“We believe they may be in storage in garages or lock ups ready to be used in an attack.’’

The threat to police staff came as the Police Federation warned it was time to take the kid gloves off to tackle dissident terrorism.

Chairman Terry Spence also said the PSNI needed an extra 1,000 officers to cope with public disorder linked to parading issues.

“Pretending that we are dealing with minuscule terrorist groups is simply self-deceiving wishful thinking,’’ said Mr Spence.

“These people may be politically misguided lunatics but they have become a lethal force which needs a legally-based aggressive response from the Executive, the PSNI and the judiciary

“More information and intelligence leading to convictions is needed from the wider community at all levels,’’ he added.

On Monday, two controlled explosions were carried out on the device on Ballymagarry Lane near Springhill primary school.

Forensics teams spent hours searching along the road for particles of the device and any other evidence to link to dissident republican gangs.

Anti-terrorist detectives have examined a number of cars that passed along the road in the hours before the bomb was discovered but they do not believe it was attached to any of them.

Local politicians have condemned those behind the attack which forced staff and pupils at four local primary schools to stay indoors until the area was made safe.

DUP MLA William Humphrey said: “Nearly 350 households were affected by this device which we now know was viable.

“This was a reckless and indiscriminate event, something very sinister and worrying.

“This is a built-up area, it’s densely populated with primary schools nearby. We could have had carnage here today,” he added.

SDLP MLA Alban Maginness described it as a “very dangerous device”.

“It could have quite easily killed somebody or seriously injured them,” he said.

“It was designed to do as much damage as possible and therefore it is a very disturbing discovery.”

(ENDS)