Lorry driver escapes gun attack

The police are treating a gun attack on a man sitting in his lorry in Londonderry as attempted murder.

The 35-year-old man narrowly escaped injury when a masked gunman fired a number of shots at the vehicle.

The incident occurred at 5.15pm as the man, a labourer from Co Donegal in the Irish Republic, was sitting in his vehicle in Rossdowney Drive in the mainly Protestant Waterside area of the city on Wednesday November 7. As he was preparing to leave the area he rolled down his driver’s window and noticed the gunman walking towards him. The lone gunman fired a number of bullets at the vehicle, smashing the windows of the cab before walking off in the opposite direction.

Despite being severely shocked by the incident, the man was able to drive off.

Police are still trying to establish a motive for the shooting and say a sectarian motive has not been ruled out.

Inspector Milton Kerr expressed disgust at the reckless nature of the latest gun attack. He told BBC Radio Ulster: “This was an extremely busy time of day and apart from the danger to the ordinary public the incident is made even more sinister by the fact there was a children’s playground close to the scene.”

The SDLP’s Annie Courtney said that the situation in Londonderry was getting serious and that she was seeking a meeting with Security Minister Jane Kennedy in order to address the recent attacks in the area. (AMcE)