POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have released CCTV footage of the cars used by the terrorists involved in the attempted murder of a police officer in east Belfast.

In the early hours of the morning of 1 June, terrorists travelling in two cars transported and planted a bomb under the car of a PSNI officer. 

“Thankfully, their plan did not work, but by transporting and then placing a bomb under a vehicle in a built up area, these terrorists put the lives of the officer’s family, neighbours and members of the public at serious risk,” Detective Superintendent Sean Wright said.

The vehicles that can be seen in the footage released today are a green Skoda Octavia, registration 01D 78089 and a silver SAAB 95, registration NFZ 3216. 

“I believe these vehicles were used to plant the bomb under the officer’s car and it’s really important that I trace their whereabouts on the night of Friday 31 May – the night before the bomb was discovered,” Wright said. 

Both cars travelled along the Newtownards Road at the same time towards the officer’s house in east Belfast at 1.26am – the time that officers believe the bomb was planted. 

In the footage, the two cars are seen travelling back along the Newtownards Road at 1.33am.

“I believe that the terrorists had already planted the bomb by this time and were fleeing the scene. 

“We have already established that shortly after this at 1.50am, these two cars were reported having been set on fire on Etna Drive, north Belfast.

“However, there is over an hour – from around ten past midnight until twenty five past one – where these cars are unaccounted for and I want to know where they were,” Wright said. 

The PSNI believes that both cars stayed in east Belfast during that time and are appealing to anyone who may have seen them in that area to contact detectives on 101 or Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 11. 

Violent Dissident Republicans have already demonstrated that they do not care who they hurt or who they kill nor do they listen to the overwhelming wishes of our communities – they are simply anti-peace and anti-democracy.

“Their reckless violence cannot be allowed to continue and I ask for public support to help me identify the people involved so that we can stop them from harming our communities in the future,” Wright said.