Michelle O’Neill says those behind police attack and Derry hoax are in ‘conflict with the people’

The Sinn Féin Vice-President said recent security alerts in the north west could have had ‘catastrophic implications’ including the ‘loss of life’ of the two officers targeted in Strabane last Thursday.

Ms. O’Neill condemned the attacks – including the hoax bomb alert in the Waterside on Sunday – which led to major disruption.

She was speaking during a visit to Derry for a range of engagements with civic, community and business leaders.

“It's disgraceful. It's futile. It's reckless. It's completely dangerous. It causes nothing but chaos and dysfunction to the people of this city and also in Strabane because of the incident there.

"These actions have no place in today's society and as political leaders we must call it out whenever we see it. This could have had catastrophic implications. We could have seen loss of life of two police officers,” said the First Minister designate.

Referring to the alert in Derry on Sunday she spoke of the disruption it brought to people's lives.

"Children didn't get to school. People were evacuated from their homes. They couldn't get out to their place of work. Those actions are not acceptable and these people are in conflict with the people and the community in which they live and I just don't think anybody wants to see that so it is incumbent on all of us to show leadership and say no to any of this action and to call it out,” she stated.

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