Belfast’s lone wolf vulnerabilities highlighted

An internal council document has found that Belfast City Hall is extremely vulnerable to a car bomb or a 'lone wolf' attack involving knives.

Seen by the Belfast Telegraph, the document says that the Christmas Market, which is currently in the grounds of City Hall, is regarded as a ‘specific vulnerability’ by the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office.

It warns that the building's location and layout make it a ‘very high risk area’ that would likely sustain ‘catastrophic damage’ in a car bomb. A reporter from the newspaper reported glaring security vulnerabilities upon visiting the site, claiming that ‘a large car could easily have been driven up the pavement and through it into the market’.

City Hall is then further at risk as a result of ‘high footfall caused by tourism’ and a possible ‘lack of awareness of potential security-related threats amongst non security staff’.

The report will be discussed at a meeting of the council's strategic policy and resources committee.