Mayor in intruder alert

Mayor (left) points out where hoax bomb was left in early November

Police in Londonderry are investigating an attempted attack on the home of the city's SDLP mayor.

Three masked men were seen outside Shaun Gallagher's home at Capall Court in Derry, at about 2400 GMT on Sunday.

"Three masked men were standing, two of them armed. The other fellow was standing with his arms folded," Mr Gallagher said.

"They were just staring back into the sitting room.

"It is very easy to do. I have not got a fort, it is a family home. Obviously it is open.

"I was sitting with my two older boys. I got them out of the room and phoned the police.

"In fairness, they were there within minutes. But the boys were speeding off at that stage. "

Earlier in November, police blamed dissident republicans for leaving a hoax device outside Mr Gallagher's Shantallow home.

One of Mr Gallagher's sons found the suspect device at the back of the house.

The security forces carried out a controlled explosion on the device, described as a flask with wires wrapped around it.