Security alert at Waterside Police station in Londonderry declared 'elaborate hoax'
The PSNI has declared a security alert at Waterside Police Station as an elaborate hoax.
A delivery driver's car was hijacked in the Curryneirin area of the city around 10.30pm last night.
An object was placed intro the grey Ford Mondeo and he was forced to drive at gunpoint to the police station.
The driver was able to raise the alarm and the police put a public safety operation into place.
Local homes were evacuated, leading to residents spending the evening in a community centre.
Derry City & Strabane Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Nigel Goddard branded the actions of those responsible as futile.
"The misguided and senseless actions of those responsible have caused widespread disruption in the local community and beyond," said Chief Superintendent Goddard.
"People had to be moved out of their homes. Children couldn't go to school this morning, while access to Altnagelvin Hospital for staff and those in need of medical help was impacted. The actions of those behind what was an attack on the community are reckless and futile.
"We hope the driver who was caught up in this horrific ordeal can recover and our thoughts are with him today.
"Despite the cowardly and senseless efforts of a few, the community in Derry City & Strabane can be assured that their local officers will continue to work to keep them safe.
"Between 10pm on Thursday, 17th November and this morning, our officers have responded to more than 300 calls for service. That's in addition to dealing with the attempted murder of two of our officers in Strabane on Thursday night, and this current security alert."
DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: “I want to condemn the latest terrorist incident in Londonderry. Those responsible must be pursued and brought to justice.
“But I'm also bound to say that when we have a major political party in Northern Ireland justifying this kind of violence – let’s not forget that Patsy Gillespie, an innocent man, was strapped into a van and made to drive a bomb in similar circumstances to a police station in Londonderry a number of years ago – and Sinn Fein tell us that that action was entirely justified and there was no alternative to such violence.
“I’m afraid that kind of political message sends a signal to those that are carrying out these attacks whether it's in Strabane or Londonderry. And I think Sinn Fein need to think long and hard about what they are saying, about the leadership they are giving and the messages and the signals they are sending out.
“Let us all stand together and be absolutely clear, violence of this nature was never justified, should never be justified and it should be out rightly condemned.”
Sinn Fein Vice-President Michelle O’Neill condemned the attack on Twitter.
"More chaos and disruption for the local community. These people that reach for the past need to hear that’s it’s not available to them. We must all unite against these reckless actions," she tweeted.
Sinn Fein MLA Ciara Ferguson
The Taoiseach condemned in the "strongest possible manner" the hijacking incident.
Micheal Martin said he is "concerned" by the incident coming within days of an attack on PSNI officers.
Speaking in Shankill, Co Wicklow, Mr Martin said there is "no more room" for violence in Northern Ireland.
"I would be concerned," Mr Martin said.
"These are two incidents now within a week. I think we'd have to be very, very clear to people that the people on this island and people in Northern Ireland want no more violence. They want politics to work.
"We condemn utterly anybody who's contemplating violence, or anyone in paramilitary organisations that believe they have a right to impose such barbarity and violence on people, hijacking vehicles, hijacking drivers and so on. We condemn that in the strongest possible manner.
"We have to be very clear that there was no room for violence any more in Northern Ireland."
He added that those contemplating violence should be aware that the "full rigours" of the law will be applied and the strongest co-operation between An Garda Siochana and the PSNI continues to exist.
"We will work together to try and make sure that such efforts don't gain any strength," he added.
Ulster Unionist Councillor Ryan McCready said: “I unreservedly condemn this mindless action which showed a reckless disregard for human life.
“The impact on families has been immense - children have been evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night, they have been denied access to education, nurses have been disrupted from shift patterns and elderly people have been placed in fear and distress.
“I call on anyone who can assist the Police to catch the people responsible to come forward immediately. Nobody wants this and it has to stop.”
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP said the hijacking was an attack on the entire community.
“This horrendous incident has shocked people in Derry and right across the North as they wake up to what's happened on Monday morning,” he said.
“Ordinary people who are getting ready to do a day’s work, children preparing for school and the community as a whole have been impacted, with significant disruption caused as a result.
“Our thoughts are with the driver who has been through a terrible ordeal and all the people affected. Nobody should be subjected to this kind of attack while out trying to earn a living. This incident harks back to one of the darkest days of our city’s past, the disgraceful murder of Patsy Gillespie and will be re-traumatising for victims.
“Those behind this are achieving nothing by disrupting the lives of people in our city. They enjoy no support in this community and are actively harming the cause of Irish unity through their futile actions. Violence of any kind was wrong 50 years ago and it’s wrong today, these groups need to realise it’s long past time they left the stage and police must hold them accountable for their actions.”
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