The finding of a viable explosive device outside a Sinn Féin office in Newry has been criticised as an “attack on democracy”.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill condemned what she termed a “cowardly attack” on the office used by Newry and Armagh MP Daire Hughes and Stormont MLA and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins.

“There is absolutely no place for this kind of behaviour in our society.

“Sinn Féin will not be deterred or intimidated from continuing our work to better the lives of people and communities across Newry, Armagh, and Ireland,” she said.

Mr Hughes said he will not be deterred after the incident at the constituency office on Monaghan Street in the city.

The alarm was raised just before midnight on Sunday.

Army bomb experts attended the scene and made safe and removed the device, which has been described as a “viable explosive device”.

Mr Hughes said it was a “disgraceful and cowardly attack on democracy and the community in Newry”.

“Whoever was behind this attack, they will not succeed and we will not be intimidated, we will get back to the work that we have to do to represent the people of Newry and the office will be open for business this morning,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.

“It’s been a massive shock, a disgraceful and cowardly attack on a constituency office which provides an essential service to the people of Newry.

“The wider dimension to this is that this was an attack on democracy, an attack on Sinn Féin, but we’ll not be intimidated, we will not be deterred, we will continue to do our work, we will continue to advance forward.

“The people responsible won’t hold us back, won’t bring us back and we’ll continue to represent the community to the best of our ability without hesitation.”

Mr Hughes asked anyone with any information about the incident to take it to the PSNI as soon as they can.

A police spokesperson said officers were grateful to local people for their patience while they worked to make the area safe.

They said: “An investigation is now under way and detectives would ask anyone with information, or who may have captured dashcam or CCTV footage from the area which could help with their investigation, to call them at Ardmore on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1648 05/10/25.” – PA