Dissidents blamed for hoax bomb at SDLP man’s home

Dissident republicans are being blamed for planting a hoax bomb outside the home of an SDLP Assemblyman in the Bogside area of Derry last night.

Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on the device before declaring it to be an elaborate hoax.

The target of the attack was Pat Ramsey, a member of the local district policing partnership who has been the subject of massive intimidation from dissident republicans.

Mr Ramsey's family home has been attacked on at least 12 occasions in recent years.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has described those behind last night's incident as morally bankrupt cowards and has praised the Ramsey family for refusing to give in to the intimidation.