Derry homes evacuated in bomb alert

Bomb squad sent to Shantallow area of Derry less than a week after two explosions in the centre of the city

Residents have been evacuated from their homes in Derry after a bomb alert in the city.

The security operation began after the alarm was raised at Amelia Court in the Shantallow area of Derry on Tuesday afternoon. Army bomb squad officers have been sent to the scene and motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

The security alert comes less than a week after two large bombs exploded at a tourist centre and a benefits office in Derry. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it believed dissident republicans were behind last Thursday's explosions in the city.