Irish terror groups 'to hit London'

The Observer reports "Police have issued a stark warning that mainland Britain faces a 'substantial threat' of an Irish republican bombing campaign, The Observer can reveal. "

The chilling note, seen by The Observer, states: 'Reporting indicates that dissident Irish republican terrorists are currently planning to mount attacks on the UK mainland.'

It goes on to explain that methods used by dissident groups in Northern Ireland could be transferred to Britain. These include 'incendiary and improved explosive devices' used in recent republican campaigns, 'postal devices' and 'shooting attacks'. The police warning adds that hoax calls have also been made 'to amplify the disruptive effect of such attacks'. The level of the threat is now said to be 'substantial', just one stage below the 'severe general' threat from al-Qaeda.
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