Viable pipe bomb found in Derry/Londonderry

By Richard O'Reilly

Several residents were evacuated overnight after a viable pipe bomb was discovered in the Waterside area of Derry/Londonerry

It was found outside a home in Heron Way last night.

The device as well as a brick and a petrol bomb were thrown at the occupant's window

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.
 
“Thankfully, the pipe bomb didn’t explode, or we could have been looking at something very different today.
 
“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.

^{Police at the scene in Heron Way} 

SI McCalmont continued: “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.

"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.”