Man faces court over PSNI station car bomb

A 42-year-old man will appear in court today charged in connection with a dissident republican car bomb attack on a police station in the North.

He faces a string of charges linked to the attack on Derry’s Strand Road station on Tuesday, August 3.

The man, who was arrested on Saturday, will appear before Derry’s Magistrates’ Court charged with 12 offences including causing the explosion.

Police said he also faces charges of possession of explosives, hijacking, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm and membership of dissident republican grouping, Oglaigh na hEireann.

A 53-year-old man was last night still being questioned by police over the attack.

The Real IRA claimed responsibility for the bombing with a statement that used the title Oglaigh na hEireann.

A taxi driver was forced at gunpoint to drive to the police station after a device carrying 200lbs of homemade explosive that was placed in his car.

Police were still clearing people from surrounding buildings, including a fast food takeaway, when the bomb detonated.

The device exploded earlier than the bombers predicted in their warning to police and it was said to have been a miracle that no one was injured.

The attack was widely condemned.

Since then dissidents launched a string of separate booby trap bomb attacks.

Three people connected to the security forces were lucky to escape injury after car bombs were attached to their vehicles.

The man charged over the Derry car bombing was arrested by the PSNI’s Serious Crime branch.