Bomb lands on woman's lap

An incendiary bomb dropped unto a woman's lap as she took her seat in a south Belfast coffee shop yesterday. The small device, wrapped in tissue paper, was hidden underneath a table at the shop in the Finaghy district. It dropped to the floor when the customer got to her feet. Staff alerted the police, who evacuated the immediate area before Army explosives experts were called in. Police later confirmed the device was an incendiary.

Sean Corrigan, a Catholic, who owns My Granny's Pantry coffee shop, said he was stunned by the attack. "The woman was very calm until she realised it was a bomb. She couldn't believe it," he said. "I've no idea why the shop was targeted."