Bishop condemns bomb attacks

Three devices were discovered in Londonderry

The latest petrol bomb attacks on a mainly Protestant housing estate in Londonderry have been condemned by a Catholic bishop.

No-one was injured and there was no damage to property when three petrol bombs were thrown into the Fountain estate on Thursday night.

Two of the devices failed to ignite and were taken away by police for examination.

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

The Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty, has condemned those behind the attacks.

He also urged all sides to do what they could to ensure there was no trouble during an Apprentice Boys' parade in the city on Saturday.

"My appeal would be to the Apprentice Boys to do all they can now, as they did in the late '90s - they showed remarkable leadership then as did the Bogside residents and the supporting cast which they had working for them.

'Culture of violence'

"So there is no reason why tomorrow's march and the entire weekend should not go off well. I hope it does."

Meanwhile, the Apprentice Boys of Derry Asssociation said it was angry republicans were "intimidating Protestants" in the area.

It said the petrol bombs were thrown at people leaving a concert in the Memorial Hall - an event put on as part of the Maiden City Festival.

"The Maiden City Festival week has brought a renewed confidence in the city as tourists, shoppers and locals have enjoyed the atmosphere generated by the Maiden City Festival's celebration of diversity," it said in a statement.

"The only culture republicans seem to possess is a culture of violence which they will express when there is any possibility of Protestants and Catholics, nationalist and unionist respecting their differences and making a positive effort to move on and build a better society."