Police last night responded to Sinn Féin criticism over its handling of the evacuation of families during a bomb alert in Co Fermanagh.
A security operation was mounted in Roslea when dissident republicans abandoned a 130lb car bomb abandoned outside a police station in the village.
Residents were evacuated from their homes for several hours while British army bomb disposal experts made safe the primed device.
The security operation was mounted on Saturday evening when the green Metro car was left outside the station at around 8.40pm.
A man got out of the vehicle, shouted a bomb warning and fled on foot.
Politicians from all sides have condemned those behind the bombing attempt including Sinn Féin which was critical of the police's handling of the operation.
Condemning those responsible, Sinn Féin councillor Brian McCaffrey said the attempted bombing "was a futile act carried out by those who have little or no support in the nationalist community".
But, he added: "The attack was used by the PSNI and RIR to further disrupt a community which has endured a significant increase in army activity – and the inevitable associated harassment – over the last four weeks.
"Attempts by the army to evacuate the occupants of house at lower Main Street to the community centre were at the very least irresponsible.
"The centre is directly in line with the PSNI base and is closer to the base than many of the houses which they attempted to evacuate. The vast majority of the residents stayed in their homes."
However, police last night rejected the claims levelled against them.
"Any accusations of 'irresponsibility' should be directed towards those behind this attack," a spokesman said.
"While we would reject any inference that the security forces have been harassing the local community in recent weeks, the very fact that there are those who would plan and attempt to carry out such an attack clearly underlines the need for an alert security response.
"This was a reckless act where a live explosive device was driven along and abandoned on a public road."
