Widespread condemnation filled the chamber of Strabane District Council offices on Wednesday night as councillors from all parties castigated what they described as the barbaric actions of the dissident group who planted a bomb under a Catholic PSNI officer's car in Castlederg.
DUP Colr. Thomas Kerrigan was the first councillor to express his revulsion at the attack on an officer going about his "day to day business."
"I thought this type of business has ceased.
"I hope the public and Secretary of State does everythi
ng in their power to assist the PSNI to bring these evil people to justice," he said.
SDLP Colr. Eugene McMenamin said: " I agree with everything that has been said about this barbaric act.
"It's important that these scum realise that they have no mandate."
Sinn Fein Colr. Brian McMahon agreed that the council should send out a letter of support and condemnation of the attack to the young officer and his family in Castlederg.
There comments came ahead of the arrest of four men in Co. Tyrone yesterday as part of an investigation into the attempted murder of the off-duty officer in Spamount on Monday night past.
The men were arrested by detectives at different locations yesterday morning and were taken to Antrim Serious Crime Suite for questioning.
The officer suffered serious leg injuries when a booby-trap bomb exploded as he was driving to work. Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde blamed dissident republicans for the attack.
The full article contains 253 words and appears in Journal Friday DER Edition newspaper.
