Residents vent fury after day of hoax bomb, petrol bombing and rioting

Petrol bombs were fired at police during the disorder in the Kilwilkie area of Lurgan at the weekend.

A Tesco grocery deliver van and two other vehicles were also hijacked and set alight.

Police had been called initially on Sunday morning after a suspicious object was found in the Tarry Drive area.

Residents were evacuated from their homes as Army Technical Officers dealt with the device, which turned out to be an ‘elaborate hoax’.

Later petrol bombs were fired at police and on Sunday night a van was hijacked and set on fire on the railway line at Lake Street.

Rail services were halted until the incident was over and the debris removed.

A number of searches were also carried out in the Lurgan area. The searches were linked to an ongoing investigation into dissident republican activity.

Police said they are investigating the hijacking of four vehicles in the Kilwilkee area last night, Sunday, 23 August.

Three of these vehicles were set on fire and completely destroyed.

Chief Inspector Bernard O’Connor said: “There is no place for this type of activity in today’s society. No-one has the right to blatantly take anyone’s vehicle from them. This type of behaviour not only disadvantages the person by depriving them of their vehicle, it also has a lasting negative impact on the victim.

“I would appeal to anyone who has any information that could assist us with our enquiries to contact police at Lurgan on the non-emergency number 101, or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/

Residents in the area vented their fury on social media adding that many of those taking part in the attacks were not from the north Lurgan area.

On Facebook North Lurgan Community Association said: “Once again the North Lurgan name is in the news for all the wrong reasons.

“I don’t know how anyone can justify hijacking and burning a grocery van that was in the area delivering food and essentials for members of our local community.

“The vast majority of residents in our area do not want this trouble on their doorstep or support it.

“Children are returning to school tomorrow. Mothers and fathers with young children will have to step over the glass and debris at the bus stops to put their children on the bus to school- if the buses will even come in after the hijackings.

“Children and parents are anxious enough about returning to school without the added stress of having to see the carnage left in our area after.

“People will have their journeys to work disrupted as they will be unable to travel on the train. We appeal to all those engaged in this behaviour to stop and let our community live in peace.”

Another resident said: “What happened on Sunday was a disgrace. Nobody wants it and there is no support for it.”

A joint statement from Lurgan Sinn Fein councillors Keith Haughian, Liam Mackle, Sorchá Mc Geown, Kevin Savage and Catherine Nelson condemned the violence and the hoax bomb alert.

Cllr Haughian said: “An innocent man doing his job delivering pizza was threatened on Saturday night by two men, one of whom had a weapon.

“They then left a hoax device which has caused serious upheaval for local residents on Sunday. A number of residents had to be moved from their homes and into emergency accommodation while it was being dealt with.

“I condemn those behind this, and call on them to cease and to explain to the residents of the area what rationale, if any, they have.

“Sunday’s rioting, hijacking and petrol bombs have done nothing but bring this area more negative publicity and it goes against everything this community stands for.

“It needs to stop. The community does not support those behind it.”

Upper Bann DUP MP Carla Lockhart condemned the violence saying: “If anyone locally has information, no matter how insignificant they think it might be, then they should call the anonymous confidential hotline and help the police make our community safer.”

Alliance Party Cllr Peter Lavery said: “The people behind this offer nothing positive for Lurgan.

“Their actions only harm the lives of local residents and cause disruption for those heading to work in the morning.

“Over the past number of months we have seen people and communities in the town come together to support the most vulnerable in society. Lurgan is a town looking to a positive future and will not be held back by the thugs of the past.”

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said: “The actions at the weekend in Lurgan was an absolute disgrace. It was a reaction to the Police arrests of dissident republicans, including two from Lurgan, and was an attempt to disrupt law and order in that part of Northern Ireland.

“A hoax device to draw both Police and military into the area, endangered officers and disrupted the community, was orchestrated to allow the police to be attacked with petrol bombs. The hijacking of a Tesco deliver van, setting it alight on the railways tracks, was a dangerous escalation of the violence and could have led to serious injuries and even deaths.

“It is clear that there are some subversive elements within the nationalist community in Lurgan who are intent on stoking up disorder and violence for their own narrow gains. These individuals are corrosive and are akin to nothing more than those that use coercion to abuse. Sadly many within the community cannot see what they are doing and fall into the trap of doing their bidding.

“As young men stand on street corners with petrol bombs or hijack vans depriving the community of a service the neanderthals who orchestrate this violence sit safe at home. They do not care if these young men get a criminal record or go to jail as long as their elevated positon within this criminal, drug dealing terrorist organisation is secure.”

Cllr Joe Nelson said: “The SDLP in Lurgan utterly condemn the violence in North Lurgan Over the weekend.

“No doubt these young people were brought onto the streets to protest at the arrests of leading dissident republicans.

“These young people do not realise the damage they are doing to their own community and to their own futures.

“Those sinister elements who send them out to do their work while continuing to lurk in the shadows. The decent people of north Lurgan are fed up with them.”