{"id":123533,"date":"2025-05-22T21:20:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T21:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/123533\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T21:20:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T21:20:16","slug":"dundonald-ice-bowl-security-alert-ends-after-package-containing-unknown-substance-determined-not-to-be-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/123533\/","title":{"rendered":"Dundonald Ice Bowl: Security alert ends after \u2018package\u2019 containing \u2018unknown substance\u2019 determined \u2018not to be risk\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this evening, the venue was closed, cordons put in place and the public asked to leave after the suspicious object was found.<\/p>\n

The alert has since ended and the substance, understood to be a white powder was was \u201cdetermined not to be a risk\u201d.<\/p>\n

The two casualties were discharged at the scene. <\/p>\n

The PSNI, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service later attended the leisure complex, which is on the outskirts of east Belfast.<\/p>\n

Those evacuated from the building were earlier pictured gathered at a car park nearby, including those still wearing ice skating equipment.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People look on as Emergency Services arrive at the scene of an ongoing incident at Dundonald Ice Bowl, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Photo by Peter Morrison)<\/p>\n

The Belfast Telegraph understood the suspicious object was a powder that was being examined by firefighters.<\/p>\n

In a statement, a spokesperson for the PSNI said: \u201cAt around 2.30pm this afternoon, Police received a report at around that a package had been opened containing an unknown substance.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolice carried out a public safety operation in the area and the leisure complex was evacuated.<\/p>\n

\u201cColleagues from the NIFRS attended and examined the substance, which was determined not to be a risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolice seized the package and contents for further examination. We would like to thank the public for their cooperation and all cordons have now been lifted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Emergency<\/p>\n

Emergency Services at the scene (Photo by Belfast Telegraph)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also understood a detection monitoring and investigation unit which tests substances is in the area alongside the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service crews.<\/p>\n

Pictures from the scene earlier showed the emergency services working at the building.<\/p>\n

The Ice Bowl themselves have issued a statement on social media, writing: \u201cWe would like to advise residents that police and emergency services are currently onsite at the Dundonald International Ice Bowl, following the discovery of a suspicious item.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe centre has been safely evacuated and the PSNI advises the public to not attend the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will advise customers when the centre reopens again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nearby Pirates Adventure Golf course confirmed on social media they have also closed as a result.<\/p>\n

They wrote on Facebook: \u201cDue to ongoing incident at the Ice Bowl we are currently closed. We will update we we get reopened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Emergency<\/p>\n

Emergency Services at the scene of an ongoing incident at Dundonald Ice Bowl, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Photo by Peter Morrison)<\/p>\n

News Catch Up – Thursday 22 May <\/p>\n

A NIFRS spokesperson confirmed to the Belfast Telegraph that the alert was ended around 7pm and information on the substance was passed to the PSNI. <\/p>\n

In a previous statement, DUP leader Gavin Robinson posted on X: \u201cEmergency Services are currently at Dundonald Ice Bowl, following the discovery of a suspicious object. The centre has been evacuated and the public are advised to not attend the area. A 200m cordon is in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Emergency<\/p>\n

Emergency Services at the scene of an ongoing incident at Dundonald Ice Bowl, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Photo by Peter Morrison)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Earlier this evening, the venue was closed, cordons put in place and the public asked to leave after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123534,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[6722,1384,1144,1610,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-123533","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-christopher-leebody","9":"tag-down-news","10":"tag-northern-ireland","11":"tag-police-service-of-northern-ireland","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114553580825047728","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}