Suspected firearm recovered in Derry - Londonderry security alert

By Aoife Moore

Police in Derry - Londonderry have recovered a suspected firearm in follow-up searches related to security alerts earlier this week.

A statement from PSNI Foyle on Wednesday evening said: "In relation to the bomb attack on Saturday evening police have been conducting follow-up searches in the Brandywell area of the City.

"As a result police have located suspected firearm.

"The recovery of this item will require a public safety operation but we will seek to keep this to minimum to avoid disruption."

The find comes just hours after a meeting of city stakeholders in an attempt to get services reinstated in the city after days of unrest, panic and evacuations.

Housing Executive contractors and other services including transport and postal were suspended in some areas of Derry after three major security alerts on Monday, including a controlled explosion, and a car bomb on Saturday night.

Amid the disturbances, a van belonging to a contractor working with the Housing Executive was hijacked.

Following the incident, the contractor withdrew services in the Bishop Street, Brandywell, Creggan, Rosemount and Rossville areas of the city.

Likewise, Royal Mail said on Tuesday that, following advice from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), its workers would not be attending certain areas of the city after one of its vans was hijacked.

Foyle MP Elisha McCallion announced the services were reinstated, just hours before the suspected firearm was found.