White powder sparks Stormont alert

The first day of business at Stormont after last week's `Assembly elections were disrupted after a suspicious package containing white powder was opened by Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey.

A security alert involving the Fire Service, the PSNI and representatives of other agencies wearing protective clothing swung into action at 5.30pm on Monday 1 December at the party's offices and lasted a number of hours before the powder was declared harmless.

According to party sources, the parcel was delivered to Maskey at Belfast City Hall and he brought it to Stormont before opening it.

A Sinn Fein spokesperson hit out at those behind the scare saying that as well as the powder there was material from "anti-Agreement lunatics" inside.