Lurgan incident was ‘pointless act of madness’

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland says the security alert outside Lurgan police station caused upheaval in the community and was ‘a pointless act of madness.’

PFNI Secretary Damian Walsh said: “This was a pointless act of madness and an attempt to cause wholesale disruption. The people behind this attack forced scores of families out of their homes as the hijacked vehicle was dealt with by colleagues.

“There is justifiable anger within the community that some individual or group would inflict this level of disruption on people who simply want to get on with their everyday lives.

“People don’t deserve to be treated like this by faceless cowards who have nothing whatsoever to offer. They are soulless and heartless.

“Dealing with this incident resulted in communities losing vital policing capacity, leaving fewer officers available to respond to other emergencies, support victims, and maintain public safety.

Our colleagues will not be deterred in the slightest by what happened in Lurgan. They remain committed to providing a professional policing service to the entire community without fear or favour.

“I would encourage anyone with information that will assist the investigation to contact the PSNI.”