Petrol bombs thrown at home of SDLP Assembly member

SDLP Assembly member Pat Ramsey and his family were today recovering after being targeted in the latest in a series of attacks.

Two petrol bombs were thrown at Mr Ramsey's Derry city home late last night. One exploded outside his youngest daughter’s bedroom window.

Over the past year, he has regularly been targeted in attacks on his home in Meenan Drive and at his office.

He says he does not know who is doing it, but dissident republicans are believed to be responsible.

Mr Ramsey said today that he would not be intimidated by people attacking from within his own community.

“These people who are doing it are certainly getting comfort and encouragement from some quarter or organisation within the area in which I live.

“It is appalling. I would appeal to people in my area - if they know in any way the people responsible for doing this, before they either kill themselves or take out a member of my family, they have a responsibility, a duty of care, to either give me their names or give them to the police directly.”

SDLP leader Mark Durkan condemned the latest of the attacks which, he said, were “very, very wearing on Pat and his family and designed to be”.

He added: “We don’t know who the people are behind this attack, but I think we all know what they are.

“I just wish they would stop it, not just for Pat Ramsey’s sake, but the sake of his family and for the sake of his neighbours who are obviously put upon and put out when these things happen."