logo
Delivery driver has lucky escape after burning object thrown inside vehicle in Derry

Delivery driver has lucky escape after burning object thrown inside vehicle in Derry

Sunday World2 days ago

The driver managed to get out of the car as it was on fire, and make his way to safety
The PSNI appealed for information after a delivery driver's car was burnt out in Derry
A delivery driver in Derry has escaped serious injury after a man flagged down his vehicle and threw a burning object inside.
At 2.10am today, police received a report that as a food delivery driver in the Creggan area left Rinmore Drive he was flagged down by a male.
Upon opening the door, this male lit an object and threw it into the vehicle before making off.
The driver managed to get out of the car as it was on fire, and make his way to safety.
The car was left completely burnt out and the driver sustained burn injuries to his hand, and attended hospital.
Detectives are appealing to anyone who was in the area at around 2am and witnessed what happened to get in touch.
In particular, they appeal to anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dash cam footage which may be relevant.
The male suspect is described as being around five foot six/seven inches tall, and of medium build and wore a dark-coloured hooded top, and had his face covered.
Detective Inspector Gingell said: "This was a reckless attack and it's sheer fortune the victim was able to able to get out of the car and make his way to safety. I urge anyone who has information about what happened and who is responsible to call us as your information could be key. "
Call 101 quoting reference 84 of 10/06/25 or make a report online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via http://crimestoppers-uk.org/
The PSNI appealed for information after a delivery driver's car was burnt out in Derry
News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 10

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ballymena riots: Leisure centre attacked, petrol bombs thrown in third night of violence
Ballymena riots: Leisure centre attacked, petrol bombs thrown in third night of violence

Irish Times

time41 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Ballymena riots: Leisure centre attacked, petrol bombs thrown in third night of violence

Petrol bombs, a hatchet and masonry were among items thrown at police during a third consecutive night of disorder in Ballymena . Officers responded with water cannon, dogs and plastic baton rounds in an attempt to disperse crowds in the Co Antrim town. Unrest spread to other towns on Wednesday, including Coleraine and Larne, 30 minutes away from Ballymena – where the leisure centre was set on fire by masked vandals who also smashed windows. The facility had temporarily been used as emergency shelter for those in urgent need following disturbances in Ballymena earlier in the week. READ MORE Larne Leisure Centre was targeted on Wednesday evening as a third night of unrest unfolds Several arrests have been made and dozens of police officers have been injured during the sustained unrest in Ballymena, which also saw multiple properties and vehicles set on fire. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, who highlighted the use of the leisure centre in a social media post, said all those who had been staying at the leisure centre are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. SLDP MLA Matthew O'Toole, the leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he would refer Mr Lyons to the standards commission following the fire. Police officers on Clonavon Road in Ballymena following a second night of violence in Ballymena, during a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the Co Antrim town. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire In the town, the PSNI deployed riot police for a third night in a row as hundreds gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area. At least one protester was struck by plastic baton rounds fired by police while officers also used a water cannon on the crowd. Officers also used dog units and drones in their response to the gathering. Riot police with shields advanced on the crowd to disperse them down Bridge Street onto other roadways. They came under sustained attack as those participating in disorder hurled petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks at police vehicles and officers standing nearby. Rioters smashed the windows of a house on North Street and set multiple fires on streets in the surrounding area. The disorder and stand-off with police continued past midnight. Elsewhere, social media footage appeared to show an established fire on train tracks running through Coleraine. Earlier, a senior officer said the PSNI had requested support from colleagues in the rest of the UK following further violence in Ballymena. The PSNI have also noted scenes of disorder in Belfast, Lisburn, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey earlier in the week, as businesses, homes and cars were attacked and damaged. By Wednesday, six individuals had been arrested for public order offences, and one charged. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he 'utterly condemns' violence which left 32 police officers injured after the second night of disturbances. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned the rioting 'risks undermining' the criminal justice process into an allegation of a sex attack on a teenage girl in Ballymena at the weekend. Stormont ministers have also made an urgent appeal for calm and said the justice process had to be allowed to take its course. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly appeared together on Wednesday to voice their condemnation. Sinn Fein vice-president Ms O'Neill told reporters in Belfast: 'It's pure racism, there is no other way to dress it up.' Ms Little-Pengelly described the scenes in Ballymena as 'unacceptable thuggery'. With the protests focused in predominantly loyalist areas in Ballymena, Ms O'Neill said she did not believe it would be helpful for her to visit in the current context. DUP MLA Ms Little-Pengelly met residents in the town on Wednesday and said the local community are in fear and wanted the violence to stop. 'The key message here today is around that violence, and that the violence needs to stop, that's what the community wants to put across, and that's why I'm here to send that very clear and united message from right throughout the community and local residents for that to stop,' she said. The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged. - Press Association

The DUP couldn't have chosen a worse moment to get tough on immigration
The DUP couldn't have chosen a worse moment to get tough on immigration

Irish Times

timean hour ago

  • Irish Times

The DUP couldn't have chosen a worse moment to get tough on immigration

Hours before racist violence broke out in Ballymena on Monday night, the Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP ) had warned that the north Antrim town was on a knife-edge over immigration . In a statement to the Assembly , North Antrim DUP representative Paul Frew reminded members he had told them weeks ago people in his constituency were 'living in fear'. There had since been two serious sexual assaults on teenage girls, sending 'shock waves through Ballymena and further afield', he said, yet there was no sign of immigration-related problems being addressed by police, councils, Stormont or Westminster. On the same day in Stormont, other DUP members made statements about immigration in general and its impact in their areas. The party has clearly decided to adopt a more hardline stance on the issue, with what now looks like appalling timing. On Tuesday, 17 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers were injured during a second night of unrest. [ Ballymena unrest: Those involved have nothing to offer but 'division and disorder', North's political parties say Opens in new window ] The DUP cannot be held responsible for the violence, however, and will have been genuinely alarmed by it. A change in position it was pursuing with some caution will now be seen to require more caution, yet also to be more urgent. Whatever approach the DUP takes to that conundrum, it is set to become the first major party on the island of Ireland to diverge from the political consensus on immigration. READ MORE The focus of the DUP's Assembly statements on Monday was north Belfast, which has experienced visible demographic change in recent years, partly driven by a new British government policy of moving asylum seekers out of hotels into the community. Phillip Brett, a DUP MLA for North Belfast, said the private rental market is 'out of control' as a result, with his constituents being evicted as landlords take contracts with Mears, the company managing asylum accommodation. This was acknowledged by DUP communities minister Gordon Lyons, whose remit includes housing. He chided other Assembly members for pretending the problem does not exist. 'The worst thing we can do is ignore it,' he warned. The DUP promoted these statements on social media, where it was also promoting a campaign on Monday by its Belfast councillors to protect playgrounds from indecent behaviour. This follows a recent alleged incident in north Belfast, for which an asylum seeker has been charged. All three main unionist parties are now tiny organisations, unable to project much presence on the ground, let alone exercise authority On all of these concerns, the DUP is not leading its voters but desperately trying to keep up with them. Brexit has destroyed its reputation for competence and shattered the unionist bloc vote it once won by default. If it is seen to be failing its supporters on another issue they care about deeply, large numbers of them will simply abandon it. The party is already a shadow of its former self. Frew may be personally popular in north Antrim but he is the DUP's only remaining Assembly member in what was its electoral heartland. Ian Paisley sensationally lost the constituency's Westminster seat to the TUV last year. Brexit also cost the DUP its Westminster seat in North Belfast, lost to Sinn Féin in 2019. Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP speaks to local residents during a visit to Clonavon Terrace following a second night of violence in Ballymena this week. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire Dismayed to see further disorder last night. Violence is always wrong. I have been in constant contact throughout last night with PSNI and in contact with local elected representatives. This disorder and violence must stop and justice be allowed to prevail. — Emma Little-Pengelly BL (@little_pengelly) Before the disorder broke out on Monday night, an estimated 2,500 Ballymena residents had held a tense but peaceful protest in support of the assault victims. Unionist politicians were present but scarcely visible: the protest had been organised organically via social media. All three main unionist parties are now tiny organisations, unable to project much presence on the ground, let alone exercise authority. Posting Assembly statements online may look like a pathetic attempt to regain relevance. Nevertheless, breaking the consensus on immigration will have knock-on effects throughout northern politics, with a secondary impact on the south via Sinn Féin. The DUP wants to set itself apart from other parties on this issue, as Lyons's chiding showed. It competes for votes with the TUV, UUP and Alliance; all three will have to decide whether and by how much to adjust their positions. The DUP could struggle to maintain its own position. Most of its statements so far have been measured and responsible, and it is correct that problems are being foolishly ignored. However, the party leadership is generally more moderate than its members and many of its elected representatives. It could find it has unleashed sentiments that carry it swiftly to the right. Nationalist parties must decide how to handle an emerging orange/green divide on immigration. Lauding nationalist tolerance over unionist intolerance is itself rather obviously divisive. The SDLP has little to lose by sticking to its principles but Sinn Féin is more exposed, as the immigration pressures it is wrestling with in the Republic are starting to affect its constituents north of the Border. Demographic change in north Belfast reached nationalist neighbourhoods first because they are closer to the city centre and have more suitable accommodation. Although this has gone remarkably smoothly, there have inevitably been some problems. Sinn Féin's response to this will be greatly complicated by the DUP raising the same problems streets away. Immigration and the asylum system are not devolved, so every party at Stormont can complain about it without accepting any blame. There is always the hope they can unite around that.

Leisure centre in Larne set alight by rioters as violence extends beyond Ballymena
Leisure centre in Larne set alight by rioters as violence extends beyond Ballymena

The Journal

time9 hours ago

  • The Journal

Leisure centre in Larne set alight by rioters as violence extends beyond Ballymena

LAST UPDATE | 20 mins ago A LEISURE CENTRE in Larne in Northern Ireland has been set on fire by rioters as violence seen in Ballymena over the last two nights spreads to other areas. Footage shared online shows masked individuals smashing windows and setting fires outside Larne Leisure Centre. The fire has since been brought under control, according to the local fire service. Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said: 'Larne does not need this.' Police have been deployed for a third night in a row in Ballymena. The Belfast Telegraph has reported that police are also at the scene of disorder in Coleraine , where footage online has shown bins set alight near a train track. Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs. Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this. — Danny Donnelly MLA (@DannyDonnelly1) June 11, 2025 Ulster Unionist Party MLA John Stewart described the events in Larne as 'despicable and disgraceful' 'The violence, vandalism, and intimidation seen this evening have absolutely no place in our society,' Stewart said. Advertisement He said the leisure centre is a 'vital community asset at the very heart of Larne' and that 'to see it targeted in such a senseless and deliberate manner is both truly shocking and deeply saddening'. Riot police have been deployed to different parts of Antrim, including in Larne (pictured) this evening. Alamy Alamy The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has deployed riot police in Ballymena for the third consecutive night as a significant crowd gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area. Demonstrators who gathered on Bridge Street near the residential area were told to disperse shortly before 9pm after a firework was thrown at officers. Petrol bombs and fireworks, as well as other projectiles, have been thrown at police this evening. Earlier today, the PSNI requested assistance from police forces in Britain following the violence in Ballymena over the last two nights. The PSNI said 17 officers were injured, and six people were arrested last night, after violent disorder erupted for a second night in a row. Multiple cars and properties were set on fire while rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers. Riot police block a road close to Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena this evening Jonathan McCambridge / PA Jonathan McCambridge / PA / PA Alongside the injuring of police officers, much of the violence has been targeted at homes that rioters believe to belong to people from eastern European countries. Related Reads PSNI seeks reinforcements from Britain as Starmer condemns 'mindless' Ballymena violence I went to talk to people in Ballymena, and was told to make myself 'scarce' or there'd be trouble On Monday, two teenage boys appeared in court charged with the sexual assault of a young teenage girl. The two teenagers spoke through a Romanian translator. The Journal has documented some of the damage done by rioters in Ballymena, including to the home of a Bulgarian man who was targeted, a neighbouring home where the window of a child's bedroom was smashed in, and a home belonging to Filipinos who had to leave because of the extensive damage. On Clonavon Terrace, where four homes were burnt on Monday night, a Romanian teenager told The Journal that the rioters claim to be fighting for the victim of the alleged sexual assault but they're 'just destroying their own town'. 'Where is the justice for this poor girl? This isn't justice for her, this is just racism destroying where we live,' the teenager said. A pram and wheelchair outside the smashed window of a child's bedroom in Ballymena Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal / The Journal Additional reporting by Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store