Mechanical Failure Caused Car Fire Which Sparked Security Alert

A car which sparked a security alert in Northern Ireland was caused by a mechanical fault, police have confirmed. 

Army bomb disposal experts were called to examine the car after it caught fire on the A2 between Belfast and Bangor at about 8.30am on Tuesday. 

The woman driving the car escaped without injury.

A bomb disposal team was earlier called in to help police establish the cause of the blaze amid claims from some public representatives that it might have been an explosive device. 

Army technical officers spent several hours at the scene with a low-key police presence at the security cordon.

They left the area shortly after 1pm and the road has now reopened. 

A number of elected representatives, including DUP MP Ian Paisley Jnr, publicly condemned what they believed was a terror-related incident.

Mr Paisley had to update a Twitter post in which he said it was understood a police officer had been targeted by a "suspected under car booby trap device".

He later tweeted: "Reports suggest this was a major malfunction of the vehicle and not terrorist related. If so that's a huge relief and I hope those involved are uninjured."

DUP leader Arlene Foster also condemned the reported attack during a press conference in Brussels, saying her thoughts were with those affected.

Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist MLA in North Down and the party's policing spokesman, Alan Chambers, released a statement condemning the incident and claiming a device had partially exploded.

Cover picture is courtesy of PA.