§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent IRA bomb attack on the Co-op and Spar Stores, Cloughmills, County Antrim; what sort of explosives were used; and what arrests have been made.
§ Mr. MasonAt 2038 hours on 14th March, a number of masked gunmen planted two explosive devices, one in the hardware department and one in the grocery department at the Cloughmills Cooperative Society and Spar supermarket complex. The gunmen fired two shots in the air and escaped by car. The device in the hardware department exploded at 2040 hours, causing minor structural damage. The second device exploded at 2050 hours, starting a fire which destroyed the interior and caused minor structural damage. The device in the hardware department is believed to have consisted of a small amount of homemade explosive, whilst that in the grocery department is believed to have been a blast incendiary.
Police inquiries into the incident are continuing.