AN under car booby trap bomb has been found during an alert in north Belfast.

The alert began after a device was found at Linden Gardens off the Cliftonville Road at about lunchtime.

Tonight, police said the device was viable and that the alert was ongoing.

As yet, police have not identified the intended target and suspect the device may have fallen off the vehicle due to a faulty magnet

A security sourced told Belfast Daily: “Somebody has had a lucky escape.”

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Campbell of the PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch said: “At this stage police believe that this could have been an under car booby trap which was designed to kill or maim.”

Army Technical Officers carried out a controlled explosion on the device and it has been removed.

However, the street is still closed and a number of homes remain evacuated.

Added DCICampbell: “I utterly condemn this incident. Those responsible have no qualms about putting people’s lives at risk and causing disruption to the community.

“There is no doubt that this device had the potential to cause serious injury or death.”