3 April 2012 Last updated at 10:31 ET

Rosslea bomb 'attempt to intimidate Protestants'

By Julian Fowler BBC News

A bomb was left in the lane outside Harold Andrews's home

An Ulster Unionist councillor has said a bomb left outside his County Fermanagh home could be part of a campaign to intimidate Protestants living in the area.

The device was found in a lane leading to Harold Andrews' house at Mullaghglass, Rosslea on Monday. Police said it was viable.

He said some Protestant families feel they are living under siege. "It's intimidating for the small Protestant population in this particular area," he said.

Mr Andrews said he had passed the bomb a couple of times in the car and had not noticed it. However, his son spotted it at noon on Monday as he drove by in a tractor.

He described it as a steel tube about nine inches long with wires coming out of it.

"During the height of the Troubles there was quite a number of families who were forced out of the area, intimidated out of the area," he said.

"Some of them had to leave because relatives were killed and their next of kin basically left the area.

"It would appear that there's certain individuals don't want the peace process to be successful and they want to turn the clock back.

"Hopefully they won't be able to achieve their aim."

Army bomb experts removed the device

Mr Andrews' family has lived in the area for four generations. He has been an Ulster Unionist councillor since 1997.

In May 2011, a gas cylinder with wires protruding out of it was left beside the road about 50 yards from the end of his lane. That turned out to be a hoax.

However, in this case the police said it was a viable device.

"It's very unsettling. It makes life very difficult for my wife and my son and myself living in the area," he said.

He said there had been a recent incident in the Newtownbutler area and the victim was convinced that the motive was to force out Protestants.

Mr Andrews said: "It would indicate that this is something similar basically to intimidate people to leave the area - I certainly won't be leaving the area anyway.

"Both communities are getting on very well in the area and it's very disappointing and it certainly doesn't help community relations. "