Loyalists investigated in bomb probe

Residents were forced from their homes near the Limavady Road yesterday after the discovery of the two bombs - one in the garden of a house in Trafalgar Court and another under a car in the Jeffrey Avenue area.

The security alerts ended at around 7pm and locals were allowed to return home. A senior police officer in the north west has said the two incidents are being investigated “on the basis that they are linked” and that the main line of inquiry “would be around loyalist groupings”.

Chief Inspector Tony Callaghan said: “At this stage we’re investigating both incidents on the basis that they’re linked. We’re not ruling out one group or another but I suppose the main line of inquiry would be around loyalist groupings.

““We have seen some punishment type attacks in the past in the area but there hasn’t been an upsurge in activity of this sort. This is the early stage of the investigation to make any firm line of inquiry.

“Once again we’ve seen disruption of ordinary daily life in the city, I was at the scene myself and spoke to one elderly resident who didn’t have to leave her home but was nearby and was visibly upset by this.”

Speaking to Radio Foyle, he added: “These devices are indiscriminate and a very callous thing for people to do.”