Two young children asleep in nearby home as bomb explodes in Derry

Police have described the pipe bomb incident as reckless.

It occurred in the predominantly unionist Lincoln Court area of the Waterside at around 1 a.m. this morning.

Detective Sergeant Richard Donnell said: “At around 1am, it was reported to police that a loud bang was heard in the area. Upon arrival of officers, the remains of a suspected pipe bomb were located in the rear of a garden in the area.

"One man aged in his 20s was inside a nearby property during the incident, but was not injured, as were a female in her 20s and two young children. The object has been taken away for further forensic examinations, with no damage reported to the property.

“Thankfully there were no reports of any injuries following this reckless act, which could have had serious consequences in this residential area."

The PSNI said it was seeking witnesses to help with the investigation.

“Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances and we would appeal to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 88 09/06/20. To submit a report online please use 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/.“