A Catholic recruit to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland has escaped injury in a car bomb attack in County Antrim.

The incident happened in the Dunclug Park area of the town at 1440 BST on Friday.

The under-car booby trap device exploded as the young officer was getting into his car. It is thought only the detonator exploded.

The police officer - one of the first batch of recruits to the new police service who recently graduated - is recovering from shock.

Bob Foster: Officer was serving community

Detectives have not yet said who they believe was behind the attack.

The area was cordoned off after the explosion and Army bomb experts were called to the scene.

A police service spokesman said the officer was off duty at the time.

Chief Superintendent Bob Foster said children playing in the area at the time could have been killed or seriously injured by the explosion.

"I cannot say at this stage from which source it came but it certainly was the attempted murder of this young student police officer," he said.

"What he was doing, unlike the people who carried this out, was trying to serve the community and to make it a better place to live.

"It has now been established that what went off was part of a bigger device that did not explode."

Northern Ireland Office Minister Des Browne condemned the attack, but said it was not yet clear who was responsible.

'Worrying development'

A DUP assembly member for the area said he was alarmed at the incident.

"Obviously we need to establish what exactly happened but this is a very worrying development," said Ian Paisley junior, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

"I think it was very deliberate attempt to drive a wedge through the community."

James Leslie: Relieved no one was killed

Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan said he believed it was significant that the officer was a Catholic.

"This is a very concerning situation here and while the full details is not clear, it is an attack on a young Catholic police officer.

"This was a real and serious attack and I thank God life was not lost."

Ulster Unionist assembly member James Leslie said he was "shocked and extremely relieved" there were no deaths or serious injuries.

"It would appear from the nature of the device it was intended to kill.

"The conclusion one starts to reach is was this designed to intimidate Catholics from joining the police and if that is the case, it is a very serious development indeed."