Police and Army technical officers at the scene of security alert in Larne

ARMY bomb experts are back at the scene of an explosion in Larne as a politician locks horns with the police over who is behind the attack.

A security alert is underway in the Co Antrim town close to where an object exploded on Wednesday evening.

Police said dissident republicans could be linked to the blast which damaged a fence outside a house in the Britannia Crescent area of the town, shortly before 11pm.

Army technical officers are at the scene examining a suspicious device on Thursday afternoon.

Britannia Crescent has been closed to traffic at its junction with the Seahill Road.

East Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Oliver McMullan said he is requesting an urgent meeting with the local PSNI commanders to find out why officers declared a security alert in the area one day after the intial explosion.

“I would like to know if there was danger to the local community during this time.

“The news in the local community is that this was not paramilitary related but a local dispute and I would question the PSNI how they have come to the determination that it was dissident led as this has the potential to raise tensions in the area,” he concluded.

Stewart Dickson, Alliance MLA for the area, has also expressed concern over the blast being linked to dissidents.

“There is no place in our society for any sort of violence. People want to go about their daily lives without the fear of attack. I would urge whoever is responsible for this explosion to stop their activities before somebody is killed.

“The Police need the co-operation of the public, so I would urge anybody with any information about this explosion to contact them,” he added.