The device exploded at the rear of a house in Bryson Court in the nationalist Short Strand area shortly after midnight on Thursday.

A couple and their three children aged between nine and 14 were in the house at the time of the attack.

Martina McGuigan said her children had been sleeping on camp beds at the front of the house because of recent attacks on their home.

'Disgusted'

She said it was a very frightening experience.

"We were just lying in bed watching the TV. We heard a bang. A couple of seconds later, we heard the explosion," she said.

"We just got the kids out and ran out into the front because we knew it was at the back of the house.

"It was very, very frightening. I'm disgusted at the thought of it being a pipe bomb".

The police have said only minor damage was caused to the property and have appealed for information about the attack.