A antheral has been forced astatine gunpoint to thrust a car containing a fishy instrumentality to a constabulary presumption successful Derry.
A large information cognition is continuing successful the metropolis pursuing a hijacking connected Sunday nighttime erstwhile the suspicious entity was placed successful a transportation driver’s car successful Currynierin and helium was forced to question to the Waterside.
The incident, which occurred astatine astir 10.30pm, progressive a fig of men who forced the operator astatine gunpoint to wantonness the conveyance – a grey Ford Mondeo – extracurricular Waterside constabulary station.
The operator was capable to rise the alarm and the PSNI said a “public information operation” was instantly implemented.
Supt Clive Beatty acknowledged the important disruption caused by the cognition but said the information of the assemblage was paramount. “This reckless and despicable enactment has brought chaos to the section assemblage successful Crescent Link this morning, with galore residents having to evacuate their homes.
“Local businesses and a section schoolhouse are besides experiencing disruption this morning. This is unacceptable. This indispensable person been a horrific ordeal for the operator and we anticipation helium recovers from this traumatic incident.
“Crescent Link remains closed betwixt the roundabout astatine Kilfennan Link Road and Altnagelvin hospital. Our officers are connected country and we inquire that you travel their direction.”
He added: “We are moving to marque the country harmless and admit the patience and practice of the nationalist and, successful particular, those who person been straight affected. We volition support you updated with immoderate developments.”
The Sinn Féin vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, said the assemblage needed to unite against “these reckless actions”.
She tweeted: “Reports from Derry highly concerning. Have spoken to PSNI for assessment. “More chaos and disruption for the section community.
“These radical that scope for the past request to perceive that’s it’s not disposable to them. We indispensable each unite against these reckless actions.”
The Social Democratic and Labour enactment (SDLP) leader, Colum Eastwood, condemned those down the information alert. He told BBC Radio Foyle: “We person been told that a van was hijacked and the antheral asked to thrust the van to the constabulary station.
“What ever happens successful these situations is that the mean radical of this metropolis are enactment astatine hazard by radical who person thing to connection and are trying to archer radical they conscionable exist.”
Last week constabulary said they were investigating the anticipation that the New IRA was down a bomb onslaught connected a constabulary conveyance successful Strabane, County Tyrone, successful which 2 officers escaped injury.