Police probe pipe bomb attack in west Belfast

DETECTIVES are probing a pipe bomb attack on Monday evening in west Belfast.

The device was thrown at a police vehicle in the Culmore Gardens area of west Belfast.

It happened while officers were attending a call which they now believe was a hoax.

Luckily for the officers, the device did not explode and no-one was injured.

A number of residents in the Culmore Gardens area have had to leave their homes. Army technical officers have been called to examine the device.

Detectives will now be focusing their attention on the hoax call to see if it can be traced and lead them to the dissident bombers.

It is not the first incident involving dissident republicans in the street.

In March 2011, a 19-year-old and 23-year-old man were confronted by three masken men at garages in Culmore Gardens.

They were ordered to lie on the ground. The 19-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to his leg while the 23-year-old received an injury to his leg which did not involved a gun shot.