Hate Crime Fountain Estate Londonderry: PSNI appeal for information after youths smash rocks into home in tiny Protestant enclave

The rocks broke through a window, damaged an interior wall and – although missing the children themselves – broke a number of their toys.

Police have appealed for information after the incident in the Fountain Estate on Saturday.

PSNI Inspector Fell said: “We received a report that a number of rocks had been thrown at two houses shortly before 4.45pm by a group of young people.

Damage was caused including breaking a window, damaging an interior wall and breaking children’s toys.

There were children inside one of the properties at the time who while thankfully uninjured, are understandably shaken.

The suspects are understood to have left the area via Hawkin Street, towards New Gate. At this time, this is being treated as a sectarian motivated hate crime.”

Local DUP MLA Gary Middleton said on Twitter: “Disgusting attack on property in the Fountain area this evening.

Thankfully there were no serious injuries however there is no doubt that this could’ve been much worse as a result of the reckless actions of those involved.”

The tiny Fountain Estate is predominantly Protestant in a mainly nationalist area of Londonderry and is often targeted with such sectarian attacks.

In 2013 the death of Margaret Thatcher sparked nightly sectarian attacks on the estate.

But Michael Doherty, of the city’s Peace and Reconciliation Group, said no aggression had come from the Protestant enclave.

He said her death had given dissident republicans the “excuse” they wanted to attack the estate.

Mobs of up to 50 teenagers launched petrol bombs at the tiny Protestant estate for over a week.

The estate is surrounded by a three-mile security barrier in the west of the city.

Mr Doherty said: “Young people throwing petrol bombs at the Fountain is totally sectarian. I am supposed to be a mediator but I can’t do anything.”

The PSNI are appealing to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious to contact them on 101 quoting reference number 1187 07/01/23.

Alternatively, the public can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

*On November 1 (and November 2 in print) we ran a story which cited PSNI statistics for attacks on Orange halls and on GAA premises.

*The story included a graph that implied there had been no attacks on GAA clubs in certain years, although it did not say there had been no attacks.

*The graph was based on PSNI data which had a footnote that said: "Cell suppression has been applied to ensure that the identity of individuals/organisations or any private information relating to them is not revealed"

*The PSNI did not suggest the number of attacks might be altered by such cell suppression, but we are happy to clarify that their data had such a footnote and have revised our graph (above) to include the PSNI footnote