Derry: Vehicles damaged during 'sporadic public disorder'

Debris was thrown on a road and set alight in Galliagh on Monday evening

A number of vehicles were damaged during "sporadic public disorder" in the Galliagh area of Londonderry, according to police.

Crowds of people who gathered in the area had dispersed by the early hours of Tuesday.

The trouble followed the removal of wood and other materials from a bonfire site in Galliagh early on Monday.

Stormont's Department for Communities (DfC) said it had cleared the site due to "public safety concerns".

For several months young people in the area have been collecting for the controversial bonfire on 15 August.

Contractors removed the material from the site of the bonfire on Monday morning

Bonfires are traditionally lit in some nationalist areas in Northern Ireland on that date.

There was a police presence in the area on Monday morning as contractors removed wooden pallets and other items from the Linear Park site.

"This action is in line with the expressed wishes of the local community," said the DfC.

The material was being gathered close to homes on a large green space owned by the department.

Police said officers were also "present to prevent a breach of the peace and ensure the safety of everyone".

There have been concerns among residents and community workers about anti-social behaviour

There had been concerns among residents and community workers about anti-social behaviour linked to the bonfire.

The department said it had taken the decision to remove the bonfire material after "extensive engagement with community groups, residents and partner organisations".

In 2012 the removal of material at a bonfire site in Galliagh sparked three nights of riots.

The previous year Father Michael Canny, a senior priest in Derry, condemned bonfires across the city, including in the Galliagh area, as "a nuisance".

This month it was announced that a controversial bonfire in the city's Bogside on 15 August could be cancelled and replaced with a music event.