Army bomb squad officers at Cornmarket on Monday night after a firebomb ignites

AN MLA has branded those behind Monday night’s bid to firebomb a Belfast City Centre store have been branded as “evil”.

And Stewart Dickson of the Alliance Party tweeted: “Evil, evil, evil, the only way to describe the incendiary bombers.

“No way will you succeed.”

A hawk-eyed member of staff has prevented a Belfast City Centre going ablaze in the fresh dissident republican attack.

The selfless worker noticed the device had ignited in the Golf Centre store in Cornmarket and carried it out before any serious damage could be caused.

No one was injured in the attack.

The area remains closed off and Army technical officers are now at the scene.

As a result, shoppers have moved away from the alert leaving High Street like a ghost town for traders.

The PSNI have renewed their appeal to all key holders of shops, bars and restaurants to carry out a thorough check of their premises before locking up tonight.

The same warning was issued after last Friday night’s bomb attack at Exchange Street West in the Cathedral Quarter area.

A device in a holdall exploded outside a block of flats while police were clearing the area.

Monday night’s attack came just hours after Chief Constable Matt Baggott went walk about in Belfast City Centre with Lord Mayor Mairtin O’Muilleoir.