Bomb forces count centre to the Waterside

Londonderry's Area Electoral Officer Mrs P. Murphy has decided to relocate the city's main count centre to the Waterside school after last year's Westminster tally was disrupted by the dissident republican pipe bomb attack.

Mrs Murphy has written to Derry City Council advising of her decision to move to the Waterside for the forthcoming Assembly and Local Government elections and the Alternative Vote referendum in order to ensure the safety of her staff and members of the public attending the count.

The switch follows a bomb alert and controlled explosion at the Templemore Sports Complex count centre last May, sparked when dissident republicans forced a taxi-driver to take a pipe bomb to the venue.

East Londonderry DUP MP Gregory Campbell said the move made sense as a temporary measure but that the activity of small dissident republican groups should not be allowed to disrupt the democratic process.

He told the Sentinel: "I would welcome the move on this occasion although I don't believe it should be permanently located at Lisneal. There are a number of things we need to consider.

"Firstly, you can't allow a small group like this to disrupt the democratic process. It may be that in the short term having the count at Lisneal might make this more difficult for them.

"But we can't allow these people by their actions to dictate where the count is held."

Mr Campbell said he hoped the count would in future be held at Templemore once again. He said he would be in favour of alternating the count centre between Londonderry's East and West Banks in order to provide ease of access for residents on both sides of the River Foyle.

In a letter to Derry City Council Mrs Murphy said that in "due consideration of the events which took place at Templemore Sports Complex in May 2010" it had been decided to move to Lisneal College for the spring polls.

She wrote: "I am sure you will agree that personal safety of all my staff and all persons who are entitled to attend the Count is of paramount importance to the Electoral Office."

Last spring's bomb alert caused chaos at the traditional venue for the Foyle and East Londonderry counts which took place over Thursday/Friday, May 6-7.

It began when a taxi was hi-jacked in Hazelbank, a pipe bomb placed in it, and the driver ordered at gunpoint to take the vehicle to the Sports Complex.

A number of elderly residents of Donal Casey Court, which provides sheltered accommodation for pensioners, were amongst those evacuated to temporary accommodation as a result of the alert. The count was also suspended for a number of hours.