Images of the bomb left in a residential street in L'Derry in an attempt to murder police officers have been released by police.

The improvised explosive device can be seen in a parked car in close proximity to houses and a pavement.

Police said the bomb would have killed or maimed anyone nearby had it detonated.

It is believed the New IRA are responsible for planting the explosive, which was made safe by Army bomb disposal experts after it was discovered on Monday evening.

Assistant Chief Constable for District Policing Mark Hamilton said: "We assess that this device was to be used against a police patrol in the Creggan area of the city. It is our assessment that the New IRA is responsible for this bomb.

"Whilst it is the clear intention of the New IRA to murder community police officers trying to keep the community in Derry/Londonderry safe, it is also very clear that NIRA have a total disregard for the lives of everyone living in Creggan.

"By bringing a viable bomb into the community they have again proved that have no regard for the lives of anyone living in Creggan. Once again they exploited some of the young people in the community to attack police and have brought disruption and misery to families."

SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood said the incident proves that violent dissident republicans are intent on ruining the city's peace and murdering people in the community.

The Foyle MLA said: "The people of this city and people across this island have rejected those who have tried to divide us with violence, we will reject them again.

"Those responsible like to think that they are in an ages old battle with crown forces in Ireland. They are not. They have set themselves against the peaceful and democratic wishes of the people of Ireland. Their fight is with us and they will never win."

Mr Eastwood did concede, however, that the political stalemate is facilitating dissident violence. Northern Ireland's power sharing government has been dissolved since January 2017.

The SDLP Leader continued: "They are made stronger, however, by the failure of politics and politicians to work together. Every day we spend in our trenches, refusing to cooperate and meet the needs of people and communities across this island promotes the politics of division further. It creates the space for the ideology of romantic violence to germinate in a new generation. There must be a political response."



(JG/MH)