Police searched the area where the device was left

Dissident republican paramilitaries have been blamed for leaving an incendiary bomb outside a government building in Belfast city centre.

The device, which was in a van parked outside the motor tax office in Upper Queen Street, contained three pipe bombs and three fuel containers.

A security operation began shortly after midnight on Sunday when police received a call from a man who said a package had been placed in his van and he had been ordered to drive from the Ardoyne area to Upper Queen Street.

Army bomb disposal experts carried out several controlled explosions before making safe what police described as a "powerful explosive device".

Police Inspector Ian Blayney said dissident republican paramilitaries, who were behind an attempted bombing at Laganside courts complex in March, were most likely to blame.

The republican movement are clearly determined to cause maximum damage to the capital city of Northern Ireland Jim Rodgers Ulster Unionist

"At this time I can only tell you that it was a substantial incendiary type device which, obviously if it had have gone off, would have created havoc in the city centre of Belfast, with substantial damage and obvious risk to life.

"We are confident we can put the blame on one of the dissident republican organisations but I wouldn't like to specify which one," he said.

"But logic would tell you it's the same organisation that planted the device at Laganside."

The Real IRA said it was behind the attack at the courts complex.

The organisation is opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process.

Ulster Unionist Jim Rodgers, who is the chairman of the Belfast District Policing Partnership, also pointed the finger at dissident republicans.

"Upper Queen Street has suffered in the past by vehicles with bombs in them," he said.

"The republican movement are clearly determined to cause maximum damage to the capital city of Northern Ireland and security must be kept at a high level."

Mr Rodgers said he was relieved the bomb did not explode as "maximum damage would have been caused to many buildings in this built up area".

A similar device was left in the same area last November.

The area where the device was left was close to the route of Monday's Belfast Marathon.

The race got under way and was unaffected by the security operation.