Tactical Support Group officers from the PSNI have removed a board containing sinister graffiti targeting workers at the Boyne Bridge.
Officers moved in to remove the threatening messaging, which appeared on Durham Street on Sunday night as work to dismantle the bridge got underway at the weekend.
A group of officers removed the placard with the threatening message on it and placed it into the back of a van.
The PSNI’s Tactical Support Group (TSG) provides uniformed support to investigative departments including Organised Crime Branch, Major Investigation Teams and CID.
Its functions include public order, search, method of entry, counter terrorism and crime reduction, community safety, response to major crime scenes and a surveillance capability.
The sinister graffiti in south Belfast warned: “Touch this bridge, beware” alongside a set of crosshairs.
A legal bid to halt work around the demolition of the bridge failed last week, with work beginning over the weekend.
Durham Street, a key road in the city centre adjacent to the new £340 million station, is to be closed for up to 12 months to facilitate the work.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said it was dealing with the sign as a “public order offence”.
South Belfast Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, Roisin Brown said: “The sign has now been removed by our officers and enquiries are ongoing. We are investigating this report as a potential public order offence. “As our investigation progresses we will continue to engage with local community representatives and partner agencies. “We would reiterate our appeal that anyone with information about the sign is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1540 13/10/24.”
A legal bid to have the dismantling of the bridge prevented was dismissed by a judge last week, while a campaign to save it has been ongoing.
The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS) believes the bridge, which was first constructed in 1936, is a vital piece of Belfast history and mounted the legal challenge against Translink and the Department for Infrastructure last week.
A spokesperson for Translink did not comment on the sinister poster directly, but said that its work at Grand Central Station will involve “sensitively dismantling” the Boyne Bridge.
“Translink is committed to preserving and celebrating the history and heritage of the area and will continue to work with the local community to repurpose key elements of the bridge for significant artworks to enhance the public realm space in the local area,” the spokesperson added.
