‘Citizens bear the brunt ofincidents’

“This security alert caused a great deal of inconvenience to the people of Derry, including those who work in businesses close to the scene and also those who travel along Buncrana Road and Springtown Road, both of which are major arterial routes,” he said.

Speaking in the wake of the alert Mr Callaghan said: “However we must all remember that despite the major inconvenience caused, this was undoubtedly a frightening experience for the lorry driver.

“Today a man was going about his normal day-to-day work when he was confronted by masked men and ordered to drive with what he was told was a bomb to the police station.

“We have a range of policing operations in place and we will always seek to prevent these types of incidents. It is the people of the city who bear the brunt of the inconvenience and any potential destruction, so we would appeal for everyone’s help in showing the perpetrators that this is not what anyone wants for the city. You can do this by providing information that can help to bring these people to justice.

“Information can be given to us in a variety of ways; by calling the detectives at Strand Road on the 101 number; by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111; or by liaising through a community or civic representative.

“It is important that we get this information so that the people of Derry can continue to move forward and enjoy the enormous progress that this city has seen in recent years.”