Coleraine: Police investigate possible link in petrol bomb attacks

In the latest incident, a property in Loughanhill Park was damaged in a suspected petrol bomb attack

Police are investigating a possible link between 10 petrol bomb attacks in the Coleraine area in recent months.

In the latest incident, a property in Loughanhill Park was damaged in a suspected petrol bomb attack on Monday.

A window was smashed and smoke damage caused to the front door. One woman was in the house at the time but was not injured, the police have said.

The police said they are investigating "the potential that it could be linked to other recent incidents".

This is now the tenth attack on a house in Coleraine involving a petrol bomb since 24 April, the police have said.

A petrol bomb was thrown at a property in the same area of Coleraine on 11 August.

In July, a woman was asleep in the living room of a house at Mossvale Park when it was targeted, while there have also been attacks in April and May.

A window was smashed and scorch damage caused to the front door of the house at Mossvale Park in July

The police have said they recovered a device from the scene on Monday and it has been taken away for forensic examination.

"Thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries, although this was a reckless attack which could have resulted in serious consequences," Insp Aaron Brown said.

"Attacks such as these which could potentially endanger life are not wanted by anyone and do nothing but cause harm and damage to the local community who we know just want to live in peace," he said.

'Residents in fear'

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said the petrol bomb attacks "are wrong and need to stop", and called on the police to "spell out what, if any, the connection is between" them.

"Lives are at risk and the police need to act in conjunction with the local community before lives are lost," the Democratic Unionist Party politician added.

"They need to indicate if there is a connection between these attacks and if there are underlying reasons behind them, they also need to spell out what they are doing to prevent further such attacks."

Independent councillor William McCandless said petrol bomb attacks put lives at risk and leave residents in fear.

"These incidents are incredibly reckless and have the potential to endanger life," Mr McCandless told BBC Radio Foyle.

Mr McCandless has requested an urgent meeting with Jeremy Lindsay, the PSNI district commander for Causeway Coast and Glens, to discuss these incidents.

Sinn Féin assembly member Caoimhe Archibald also condemned the attack and said she would be raising the incidents with police in the coming weeks.

The police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.