EXCLUSIVE: Almost 100 hoax security alerts recorded over ten-months

EXCLUSIVE by Chelsie Kealey

Figures obtained by Downtown and Cool FM reveal today that almost 100 security alerts were deemed to be a hoax in Northern Ireland over a ten-month period.

Between January 1, 2021 and October 31, 2021 there were 98 bomb hoax related offences recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Over the same period there were four viable bombing incidents recorded.

This means only 4% of the security alerts which took place in NI (over a ten-month period) resulted in viable devices being found.

According to the PSNI bomb hoax related offences are a combination of the following two things: "Placing or dispatching articles to cause a bomb hoax" and "Communicating false information alleging presence of a bomb".

Meanwhile, a bombing incident may “involve one or more explosive devices”.

Our statistics from a Freedom of Information request show that the four devices found were viable and the incidents recorded include explosions and defusing’s.

However, incidents involving petrol bombings or incendiaries are excluded from these figures.

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• psni
• Security alert
• Bomb
• bomb hoax
• viable device