YOUTHS WHO ran out of petrol close to a booby trap bombing in Northern Ireland could have significant information, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said last night.
Officers who went to the wooded area of south Belfast following a bogus emergency call around midnight on Monday survived only because the bomb they tripped failed to detonate.
The failed attack near houses and on a trail popular with joggers is being blamed on dissident republicans.
Det Supt David Cunningham said: “It’s only by good fortune that police officers or members of the public were not killed or seriously injured on Monday night.”
Police want to talk to the young people, who are not believed to have done anything wrong, spotted in two cars on the Annadale Embankment road minutes before police were called to the scene by a hoax 999 call. One of the cars appeared to have run out of fuel and an occupant was seen with a petrol can.
Detectives looking for those behind the planting of the device have said the bomb and wire attached to a gate at the scene could easily have killed police or members of the public.
Earlier this month dissidents murdered Constable Ronan Kerr, who died after a bomb exploded under his car in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Mr Cunningham said: “A hoax 999 call gave information about a man and woman arguing at the gate and that the woman appeared to be in distress. When police arrived a short time later they opened the gate to check out the area.
“We want to talk to a group of young people who had stopped in two cars close to the gate at about 11.40pm on Monday night. They could well have significant information which will assist this investigation.” He said the cars might have been a dark-coloured Peugeot 206 and a small silver car. One of them appeared to have run out of petrol and the young people had a fuel can.