A security alert in Derry has ended and the ‘suspicious vehicle’ that sparked it has been declared “nothing untoward”.
The alert took place in the Galliagh Park area of the city.
Residents in the area had to earlier be evacuated to Templemore Sports Complex while officers examine the vehicle
It followed reports that a white Volkswagen Caddy van had been hijacked in the Bracken Park area of the city at around 9pm on Tuesday evening.
ATO and PSNI remained at the scene throughout the night and still had a heavy presence on Wednesday morning.
However, in a statement released on Wednesday evening, the PSNI said the security had been ended after "nothing untoward" was identified.
The PSNI said: "Police with the assistance of ATO examined a suspicious vehicle in the area and nothing untoward was found
"This follows a report of a vehicle being hijacked in the Bracken Park area of the city around 9pm on Tuesday evening.
"The area had to be cordoned off for a period of time to ensure the safety of local residents and we would like to thank the community for their patience and co-operation during this time.
"Officers would ask anyone who witnessed the hijacking incident or the van being abandoned in Galliagh Park to contact them in Strand Road on 101, quoting reference number 1847 18/01/22.
"A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/."
Meanwhile, SDLP councillor Brian Tierney, said those responsible for the alert were only "disrupting the lives of the community."
He said: “A number of families, some containing young children and elderly people were woken up by a knock on the door at 5am this morning from the police telling them they had to leave their homes as a result of this security alert. This would have been an extremely stressful and worrying experience.
“A number of children were forced to miss school this morning, something they will struggle to understand, particularly after being dragged from their homes in the early hours.
"My thoughts are with them and their families this morning and also with the driver of the van who was hijacked in the area last night.
“The people behind this attack have nothing to offer their community, I would urge them to cease this kind of activity at once. All they have done is hurt local people and disrupt their lives through their thoughtless actions.
"I would urge anyone with any information about this alert to come forward to police. It’s long past time we stopped seeing incidents like this in our city.”
Ulster Unionist councillor Ryan McCready condemned the attack, thanking police and ATO for their assistance during the operation.
"No place here, for the reckless actions shown by those who intend to disrupt the lives of those who are just trying to get up & go to school or to attend their places of work," said Cllr McCready.
"Thanks to the PSNI and ATO for their selfless efforts, putting their own lives at risk to keep us all safe."
