The security alert involving a hijacked lorry in Derry has ended with police describing it as a “hoax.”
The hijacked van on Buncrana Road. Photo: Lorcan Doherty Photography.
The alert began at lunchtime when two masked men placed a wheelie bin in a furniture delivery van at Ederowen Park in the Galliagh area and told the driver to take it to Strand Road police station.
However, the driver stopped the van less than two miles away close to St Columb’s College on the Buncrana Road and alerted police.
Staff at the school were evacuated along with a number of residents at St John’s Park and workers at businesses in Springtown Business Park.
Chief Inspector Tony Callaghan, the Foyle Area Commander, condemned those responsible adding it had been a “frightening” experience for the driver.
CI Callaghan said: “This security alert caused a great deal of inconvenience to the people of Derry, including those who work in businesses close to the scene and also those who travel along Buncrana Road and Springtown Road, both of which are major arterial routes.
Scenes of crime officers at Ederowen Park where the van was hijacked.
“However we must all remember that despite the major inconvenience caused, this was undoubtedly a frightening experience for the lorry driver.
“Today a man was going about his normal day-to-day work when he was confronted by masked men and ordered to drive with what he was told was a bomb to the police station.
“We have a range of policing operations in place and we will always seek to prevent these types of incidents.
“It is the people of the city who bear the brunt of the inconvenience and any potential destruction, so we would appeal for everyone’s help in showing the perpetrators that this is not what anyone wants for the city.
“You can do this by providing information that can help to bring these people to justice.
“Information can be given to us in a variety of ways; by calling the detectives at Strand Road on the 101 number; by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111; or by liaising through a community or civic representative.
“It is important that we get this information so that the people of Derry can continue to move forward and enjoy the enormous progress that this city has seen in recent years.”
Those behind the alert have also been condemned by the city’s Mayor, Cllr Brenda Stevenson.
Cllr Stevenson said she was “absolutely appalled” by the actions of those responsible for what she described as the “callous hijacking.”
She added: ““My thoughts are with the driver of the van and. of course, his family who are no doubt considerably distressed by his ordeal.
“The alert today has caused widespread chaos across the city, with residents forced to evacuate their homes, the evacuation of a local school and major traffic congestion.
“Not to mention the considerable risk to public safety and the security personnel who risk their lives in dealing with any potential device.
“A number of businesses in the area have also had to be evacuated for a considerable period, at a time when local companies face enough challenges given the current economic climate.
“Derry has moved on from violence, and senseless actions such as this inevitably have a wider impact on local business and the economy of the region.”
Mayor Stevenson concluded: “I would call upon those responsible to listen to the people of this city and desist from inflicting further hurt and pain on their own community.”
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