Bomb at cop shop

[Kevin 1]

A car that exploded outside a police station in Londonderry contained 200lbs of homemade explosives, police have said.

 

Dissident republicans are being blamed for the attack.

 

No-one was injured in the attack which happened at 0320 BST but several businesses were badly damaged in the blast.

 

Police said the bomb was loaded into a hijacked taxi and the driver ordered at gunpoint to drive to the station.

 

Divisional Commander Steve Martin said it was fortunate no-one was killed because the device went off more than 20 minutes before the Real IRA said it would.

 

He said two men hijacked a taxi in the Bogside. The driver was taken to Glenfada Park where the bomb was loaded into the car.

 

The driver was then ordered at gunpoint to drive to Strand Road police station and warned he would be shot if he did not.

 

When the bomb was left, police received a warning from Oglaigh na hEireann.

Dissident republicans

 

Supt Martin said they had been warned the device would go off in 45 minutes, however only 23 minutes had passed when the car exploded.

 

He also revealed that a policeman risked his own life when he walked past the bomb twice to bring to safety staff at a nearby fast food shop.

 

The first and deputy first ministers have condemned the attack.

 

Peter Robinson said he was thankful there was no loss of life.

 

"Using a taxi driver to deliver the device shows the cowardice of those behind the attack and my sympathies are with him and all those targeted," he said.

 

Martin McGuinness said those who planned the attack were an "embarrassment" to the people of Derry.

 

"It's about trying to undermine the peace process, about trying to undermine Sinn Fein's peace strategy," he said.

 

"If they think they will destroy the political institutions the people of Ireland voted for, if they think they're going to destroy the working relationship I have with Peter Robinson, if they think they will undermine the peace process they are living in cloud cuckoo land."

 

SDLP Mayor of Derry Colum Eastwood blamed dissident republicans for the attack.

 

"Police didn't even have time to evacuate a nursing home or apartments right beside the police station.

 

"We are very lucky today not to be talking about fatalities. It's an attack not just on the police but the entire community."

'Panic'

 

Lotfi Jalloul, whose kebab shop was destroyed in the blast, had been cleaning up for the night when he saw the car arrive at the police station.

 

Lotfi Galloul owns a kebab shop opposite the police station and saw the incident

 

"I thought he was a taxi driver picking up a passenger but about 15 minutes later, we were evacuated by the police," he said.

 

"There was a lot of panic. I left the money in the till and didn't even get the chance to pull down the shutters - thank God we got out of there, I can't believe we're still alive."

 

He said he had been told his business had been destroyed by the explosion but had not yet been able to see what damage was caused because the area remains cordoned off.

 

Conor Kelly, who lives in an apartment block near the police station, said it had been a terrifying experience.

 

"I was still awake and reading when I heard an enormous noise like thunder and saw debris flying past my window," he said.

 

"There were no alarms or attempts to evacuate the building."

 

He said the front of a fast food outlet had been "ripped to shreds" and other buildings had windows blown out.

 

In May, a mortar bomb was fired at the same police station. It struck a wall but failed to explode.

 

The attack comes just weeks after Derry was picked to be UK City of Culture in 2013.

 

SDLP MP Mark Durkan said the bombing was "a cowardly, dangerous and vulgar act".

 

"Those responsible for this incident have achieved nothing and this campaign of violence will achieve nothing," he said.

 

Are you in the area? Did you witness the blast? Send your comments using the post form below:

 

Full story here

 

____________________________

 

Yes I am in the area, yes i did hear a boom, class

[peasepud 59]

Bejezus

[Kevin 1]

More bad news, Pepé's (gay bar) has been destroyed along with the kebab shop

[peasepud 59]

More bad news, Pepé's (gay bar) has been destroyed along with the kebab shop

 

Oh dear where you going to get your spicy meat filling now?

 

 

Plus you'll go hungry

[ewerk 31596]

Yes I am in the area, yes i did hear a boom, class

 

What exactly was 'class'?

[Kevin 1]

Yes I am in the area, yes i did hear a boom, class

 

What exactly was 'class'?

 

The bomb !

[Guest alex]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

[Kevin 1]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

 

Lets not turn this into bloody sunday.

 

Its just a bit of craic

[ewerk 31596]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

 

Lets not turn this into bloody sunday.

 

Its just a bit of craic

 

What's a bit of craic? The threat to life of a bomb going off 20 minutes before the warning said it would? Or people losing their livelihood?

 

Here's hoping the next one is dropped off at the McDonalds drivethru while you're on duty.

[Kevin 1]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

 

Lets not turn this into bloody sunday.

 

Its just a bit of craic

 

What's a bit of craic? The threat to life of a bomb going off 20 minutes before the warning said it would? Or people losing their livelihood?

 

Here's hoping the next one is dropped off at the McDonalds drivethru while you're on duty.

 

nobody was hurt, all in a days fun

[Kevin 1]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

 

Lets not turn this into bloody sunday.

 

Its just a bit of craic

 

What's a bit of craic? The threat to life of a bomb going off 20 minutes before the warning said it would? Or people losing their livelihood?

 

Here's hoping the next one is dropped off at the McDonalds drivethru while you're on duty.

 

nobody was hurt, all in a days fun

 

You're a retard honestly

 

Yep, I know.

[Kevin 1]

Or should I call you Ant Secondnamehere

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

 

Lets not turn this into bloody sunday.

 

Its just a bit of craic

 

What's a bit of craic? The threat to life of a bomb going off 20 minutes before the warning said it would? Or people losing their livelihood?

 

Here's hoping the next one is dropped off at the McDonalds drivethru while you're on duty.

 

nobody was hurt, all in a days fun

People like you damage the Irish reputation.

[Geordieracer 0]

Kevin - you're an utter hat end with the intellectual capacity of a semi retarded, used lightbulb.

 

McGuinness - the staggering hypocrisy of this man is astounding.

[Kevin 1]

Makes your indignation over Bloody Sunday a bit hollow like.

 

Lets not turn this into bloody sunday.

 

Its just a bit of craic

 

What's a bit of craic? The threat to life of a bomb going off 20 minutes before the warning said it would? Or people losing their livelihood?

 

Here's hoping the next one is dropped off at the McDonalds drivethru while you're on duty.

 

nobody was hurt, all in a days fun

People like you damage the Irish reputation.

 

No people that bomb places damage the Irish reputation.

[Guest alex]

Aye, you just reinforce the stereotype

[DanTheMan 0]

Probably the first interesting thing that's ever happened to you.

[Kevin 1]

Probably the first interesting thing that's ever happened to you.

 

What exactly has happened to me here?

 

A bomb went off on election night about 10 minutes away from my house, there's a thread about it somewhere fuckin' good ole derry.

[Kevin 1]

Or should I call you Ant Secondnamehere

 

welcome to last week when i said i'd joined the facebook group in the other thread.

 

ya know thats Second-name-here, and not phonetic "se-con-da-mere" aye?

 

Nervous about something, Ant?

[Gemmill 47121]

Take thread starting privileges off this fucking tit. And limit him to 10 posts a day.

[trophyshy 7095]

Take thread starting privileges off this fucking tit. And limit him to 10 posts a day.

seconded.

 

What a tedious cunt this boy is.

[Kevin 1]

Take thread starting privileges off this fucking tit. And limit him to 10 posts a day.

I'd actually be in favour of limiting my posts to 10 a day? Not the thread starting stuff, this thread's serious like.

[Kevin 1]

Or should I call you Ant Secondnamehere

 

welcome to last week when i said i'd joined the facebook group in the other thread.

 

ya know thats Second-name-here, and not phonetic "se-con-da-mere" aye?

 

Nervous about something, Ant?

 

no i was just making sure you weren't thick enough to think it was an actual name, if your refering as to why i don't have my real name in there it's a bit too unique not like "smith" or whatever and i don't want all these mongs from when i was at school looking me up to reminisce, i kept in contact with people who didn't iritate me

 

Sounds a bit lonely

 

You didn't have a good childhood did you Ant, and when you bring up school it's telling me that something happened to you in school that you don't want people to remind you of Tell me Ant, what did happen?

[Kevin 1]

Not lonely at all Kevin i've plenty of friends, you'd be the example of the kind of spacker I just wouldn't want looking me up.

 

I can afford to be picky about who i talk to

I'd tell you about my school days Kevin but i went to a decent school where you definitely would not rank in the "smartest in the year" poll so it'd be beyond you.

 

McDonalds on the Strand then aye?

if i go upto Derry to look at this car i might buy i'll have to fill in a wee complaints card about you

 

Ant my buddy old pal my bestest newcastle forum friend how are ya ?

 

My oldschool was really retarded, i mean really really retarded. My new school, ehhh not so much. I'd be surprised if i wasn't in the top 30 thickest in my year, its a pretty smart school.

 

McDonalds on the strand? Did I say that, nah i meant over in the waterside

 

PS - I also got an employee discount card