A booby trap explosive found outside a GAA club in west Belfast was potentially lethal, police said today.
The distress flare outside the Lámh Dhearg club in Hannastown on the Springfiled Road was made safe by British Army Technical Officers. It was discovered at about 1 p.m.
PSNI Inspector Mark Shaw said the device "had the potential to kill".
"The placing of this device was a despicable act especially as there were children in the vicinity at the time" he said.
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The club said 40 children were being trained at the time of the discovery.
Sinn Féin MLA for the area Ms Bairbre de Brún blamed unionist paramilitaries.
"Those responsible deliberately decided to target a sports facility which they knew was used by children," she said.