Belfry bomb hoax disrupts Waterside wedding

The alert at the Belfry Hotel in Drumahoe on Saturday night sparked confusion and was particularly stressful for relatives of the bride and groom some of whom had travelled from England for the big day.

Foyle SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey said: "This was a terrifying and unpleasant experience, not only for the young couple celebrating their wedding, but for their guests and those working in the hotel.

"At a time when we are trying to promote tourism and draw people into our city, these kind of moronic attacks are totally unwelcome and must be curtailed.

"Naturally the owners and staff of this hotel are extremely distressed following this terrible ordeal. Fortunately this was a hoax and no one was injured but the fact is it has caused unnecessary stress for innocent people. Those responsible offer nothing positive to our community, our economy or our area's image. I strongly appeal to anyone with any information about this incident, or any other attacks, to pass it onto the police immediately."