Vandals wreck Omagh memorial garden

A memorial garden to the victims of the Omagh bomb was wrecked by vandals who rampaged through it during the night.

Trees were uprooted, plants pulled out and flower pots and seats overturned in the garden, in Drumragh Avenue, which commemorates the 29 victims of the Real IRA bomb attack.

Flower pots were also thrown into the grounds of County Hall.

The damage was discovered at around 8am today.

The garden is near the scene where the car bomb went off, devastating the town, in August 1998.

The attack was condemned by politicians and police.

SDLP Assembly member Joe Byrne said the incident was "appalling".

The West Tyrone MLA said: "I am very annoyed that anybody would want to interfere with or destroy the memorial garden.

"It is a very significant place for people to go and quietly reflect on the atrocity. I know the relatives will be very distressed by what has happened.

"It is totally deplorable that some people are so badly motivated that they are prepared to cause even further suffering for the people of Omagh."

The area’s police commander, Superintendent Jim Baxter said the attack was "disgraceful" and went on: "How anybody could perpetrate such a deed is beyond belief.

"This is not only an attack on the garden but on the entire community of Omagh, which has already suffered so much."

The attack took place hours after a special computer archive on the bombing was launched in the town by former Beirut hostage Terry Waite.

The CD-Rom, One Day in August, will be used in schools and libraries in the Omagh area as an archive on the bombing.