Bridge alert 'sophisticated hoax'

The Craigavon Bridge was closed in the alert

An incident which led to Londonderry's Craigavon Bridge being closed for most of Saturday was a "sophisticated hoax", police have said.

The alert began on Friday evening after hijackers put objects into a van and forced the driver to abandon it on the bridge's lower deck.

The bridge reopened to traffic late on Saturday evening.

Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin said the incident caused "distress" to the driver and "enormous disruption".

"Clearly in these circumstances we must treat the van as though it contains a real bomb to ensure community safety," Chief Superintendent Martin said on Saturday night.

"In Strabane today ATO dealt with a viable device thrown into the police station. This combination of hoax and the real thing can be very dangerous.

"Police officers remain committed to ensuring the safety of the whole community and I would thank the people of Derry for their patience during the past 24 hours.

"I also acknowledge the hard work and dedication of ATO and police as they worked to deal with this risk to the community."

Earlier, Jim Roddy, manager of the City Centre Initiative, said the alert had produced a "devastating impact" on traders.

"Whoever has done this is no friend of the city. The only people they are harming is the people of the city," he said.