Traders in Banbridge, Co Down, were breathing a collective sigh of relief yesterday after security forces safely defused a huge 500lb car bomb left in the centre of the town on Tuesday evening. If it had exploded, it would have caused severe damage to the commercial centre of the town.
The area around Newry Street was sealed off shortly after teatime after two phone warnings were received, one to a Co Louth radio station and another to the Samaritans in Newry.
Three limited controlled explosions were carried out on the car in a seven-hour security operation. Police said the red Ford Sierra had travelled from Newry to Banbridge earlier in the day. The car was sold in Andersonstown in west Belfast in August and was sighted in south Armagh in November.
No organisation has admitted the attack, although first suspicions were that it was the work of the Continuity IRA, which was responsible for a car bomb in Markethill, Co Armagh, in September.
The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr David Trimble, immediately blamed republicans, saying it was an attempt to destabilise the peace process by provoking a retaliation. He said be believed people from south Armagh and Louth had carried out the attack and that the British government should rule out any security wind-down in the area as a result.
Mr Seamus Mallon, deputy leader of the SDLP, condemned the planting of the car bomb but said there was "absolutely no proof" that people from south Armagh were involved. He described Mr Trimble's statement as "dangerous". Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein said the bomb attempt was "totally and absolutely regrettable".
The Northern Ireland Office minister, Lord Dubs, described it as "a vile attack". He said the incident served to underline "the choices we face", adding: "There is a way forward. I urge all elected representatives to support that course, and all those with influence to bring it to bear and reject the violence now."
People in Banbridge yesterday expressed shock that the incident should take place in the town, which enjoyed excellent community relations. One man said it was "a disgrace" that people could come in "from outside" and try to bomb the town.
Mrs Norah Wilkinson, a receptionist at the nearby Downshire Hotel, from where a number of guests had to be evacuated during the bomb alert, said it was disappointing for everybody. "It's awful to see it again, when it was quiet for so long. It puts a bit of a damper on people deciding where to go. For a while there, you never thought of those things," she said.
Ms Doreen Barr, a shop assistant, said people were glad the bomb had been defused and were getting on with business. "If it had gone off, though, it would have been very different." Other traders feared the bomb would result in increased security measures and that the town centre might again be closed to cars.
"It's been a great pleasure to be able to park outside your door," said a businessman, Mr Jim Quail. "It's a shame because community relations have always been very good in the town, but I feel there are a lot of people who don't want peace. They have too much to lose and then the politicians are stirring things up," he added.
Other business people expressed concern that the bomb attempt would affect the town's good name and put off potential investors.
The Ulster Unionist chairwoman of Banbridge council, Ms Joan Baird, said she did not believe community relations would be affected. "Even if the bomb had gone off, everybody would have worked together," she said, praising the army bomb disposal team which defused the bomb.