Scottish Catholic Observer

Parcel bombs intended to kill or maim have been sent to the Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, and two other prominent fans of the club—the manager’s lawyer and a senior Labour MSP.

The three devices, discovered at several locations in the west of Scotland over the past month, are considered dangerous, a senior police source confirmed.

One, addressed to Mr Lennon at Celtic’s training ground in Lennoxtown, was intercepted by Royal Mail staff, but a second was forwarded to the constituency office of the Labour MSP Trish Godman, a former deputy presiding officer of the Scottish parliament and a Celtic fan.

Her office staff became suspicious and alerted Strathclyde Police. Detectives initially believed the parcels were elaborate hoaxes intended to distress their targets, but later decided that they were viable explosive devices.

A third device was addressed to Paul McBride QC who, speaking at the Faculty of Advocates lawyers’ offices in Edinburgh, had made outspoken attacks on the Scottish Football Association for its treatment of Mr Lennon over disciplinary offences.

It is understood all the devices were sent from within Scotland. Anti-terrorism branch officers were initially involved, but have ruled out loyalist terrorist involvement.

The device sent to Mr McBride was apparently posted in Ayrshire. It was discovered in a letterbox by a postal worker and taken to a sorting office.

Scottish Government ministers secretly convened a cabinet sub-committee meeting on Saturday to discuss the discoveries. The media were asked not to report the incidents to avoid prejudicing a police investigation.

Police sources suggested the devices were liquid-based and not nail bombs, but were rudimentary and did not seem to have been made by someone with paramilitary training.

Police have warned other high profile figures associated with Celtic Football Club and the Catholic Church to be wary of suspicious packages.

The incidents mark a significant escalation in a campaign against Mr Lennon—a Catholic from the North of Ireland—that has involved death threats, hate mail, bullets sent in the post and a previous letter bomb.

Mr Lennon, his wife and son have left their home, and have been living under 24-hour guard at a secret location for some weeks.

The former Celtic player has, this season, been involved in disputes with the Scottish football authorities and Rangers over refereeing decisions, the conduct of each team’s players and touchline behaviour.

Celtic chairman and former Labour home secretary, John Reid has also voiced his concerns over alleged bias against the club.

In March, the First Minister, Alex Salmond, convened a meeting involving both clubs, the football authorities and Strathclyde police in an attempt to deal with on-field disputes and sectarianism in the stands, mainly involving Rangers fans.

Both clubs agreed to allow senior police officers onto training grounds to remind players they face arrest for serious on-field misconduct.

Asked about the latest discoveries, Mr Salmond told BBC Scotland: “We will not tolerate this sort of criminality in Scotland, and as an indication of the seriousness with which we view these developments the cabinet sub-committee met last Saturday to ensure that the police investigation has every possible support to come to a successful conclusion.”