Petrol attack on SDLP man's home

Mr McMenamin's house has been attacked before

There has been an attack on the home of a West Tyrone SDLP assembly member.

Eugene McMenamin's car was doused with petrol and a burning rag thrown at his home. The attack took place at about 2215 GMT.

The petrol failed to ignite. It is the latest in a series of attacks on the MLA's home.

"It may have been related to my condemnation of the bomb alerts which have been blocking roads in the Strabane area recently," he said.

Mr McMenamin and his wife Kathleen were in the house at the time of the attack and heard a loud bang.

They went to the window where they saw flames and as they ran outside they smelt petrol.

Everyone has a right to live free from such despicable arson attacks, including elected representatives Pat Doherty Sinn Fein

"My car had been doused in petrol and a burning rag tied to a missile of sorts had been thrown," Mr McMenamin.

"Thankfully it hit my window and landed in a flower window box preventing it from falling to the ground.

"Otherwise the house would have been engulfed in flames and the car would have been a fireball."

The assembly member has had cars destroyed, a hoax device left at his house and earlier this year a crude incendiary bomb was sent to him - it was discovered by workers at the post office.

He said people have to be seen to stand up to intimidation.

MLA said people had to be seen to stand up to intimidation

PSNI inspector Ian Harrison said: "As you will be aware, there have been a number of attacks on DPP (District Policing Partnership) members in the Strabane area over recent times.

"I wouldn't be prepared to point the finger at a particular grouping, but undoubtedly there is a possibility that dissident republicans may well be involved."

Ulster Unionist assembly member Derek Hussey said it was a reckless attack carried out by "a bunch of mindless thugs".

"I would call on all right-thinking people to stand together and confront this sort of senseless intimidation," he said.

Sinn Fein West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty said it was "a despicable and senseless attack devoid of any kind of political rationale".

"Everyone has a right to live free from such despicable arson attacks, including elected representatives," he said.