Petrol bombers attack police for second night running

Petrol bombers have attacked the police during a second night of disorder in Londonderry.

Trouble flared in the Top Of The Hill area of the Waterside on Monday evening.

"Petrol bombs were thrown at police and there were just scenes of sheer violence," said DUP MLA Julie Middleton. "It descended into chaos."

The previous night, police were targeted with petrol bombs, fireworks and bottles in the Strabane Old Road and Irish Street areas.

On Monday evening, motorists were warned to avoid the area of Chapel Road, Strabane Old Road and Irish street due to the ongoing policing operation.

Young footballers were also asked to leave their training at the Waterside Shared Village due to the disorder, which one mother said had left a number of children frightened.

Julie Ann Coll, whose son was attending the training, said that at 20:15 BST, parents and coaches were approached by police, who advised them to leave the area.

"They're an under-13 football team, they don't fully understand what's going on, but they were scared tonight," Coll said.

"My son and his teammates, their coaches, and there were at least five other wee teams there training tonight, they all had to pack up early and leave their football training."

Middleton said community workers were on the scene for a number of hours, trying to calm things down.

She told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme that she believed some "children not much older than my nine-year-old" were being encouraged to carry out the disorder.

"I am a mother and I don't think any child grows up to hate, or throw a petrol bomb," Middleton said.

"Young people have clearly been manipulated to throw these petrol bombs, paint bombs and masonry."

The DUP MLA said sporadic disorder is leaving communities "frightened and concerned" and appealed to those with influence in both communities to call for calm.

Meanwhile, two windows of a Sinn Féin constituency office in the Waterside area were smashed overnight.

In a statement, Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson described the incident on the Spencer Road as a "cowardly attack" and said those behind it had "nothing to offer".

In a statement, police said they were investigating criminal damage to the property.