Loyalist gang blamed for North West pipe bomb attack

By David Young, Press Association

Police have blamed a loyalist paramilitary gang for a pipe bomb attack in Londonderry.

The suspected sectarian incident took place in Heron Way in the Waterside area of Derry on Monday night.

A brick was thrown through the window of a house followed by a petrol bomb and then a pipe bomb. The pipe bomb did not explode.

PSNI superintendent Gordon McCalmont said: "This was a bomb left in the heart of the local community - a reckless act at the hands of what we believe to be a loyalist paramilitary gang.

"Our investigation is at an early stage and we will be investigating a number of lines of enquiry, including the fact this may well have been a sectarian attack.

"This was an act carried out in a residential area by criminals who have absolutely no regard for other people's safety."

He added: "These people have nothing to offer society and no place in a democratic society.

"They falsely believe their agenda and their after-dark activities are welcome and wanted in a city where the majority of citizens simply want to live in peace.

Police at the scene of an ongoing security alert at Herons away in Derry/Londonderry pic.twitter.com/RMix8r8TZG

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Superintendent McCalmont continued "The community does not want to be woken from its beds and told a pipe bomb had been found near their home, a place where they are supposed to feel safe.

"Today, I will be meeting with colleagues and our partners, and conducting a review of our operational and investigative activities to counter the threat posed by this very small minority of people who were responsible for this.

"I am appealing for the community's support in identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice and I also want to thank the community for their patience and their understanding while we investigate this attack."