AN ENTIRE Co Donegal Border village was evacuated last night following a major car bomb alert.
Hundreds of residents in Bridgend, 5km from Derry, were moved out of their homes after a bomb warning call was made to Buncrana Garda station at 7.40pm.
The area was sealed off while the Army bomb disposal unit was called to the scene. It was en route to the scene late last night while local residents made arrangements for overnight accommodation.
Traffic diversions were put in place for motorists travelling via Bridgend to Derry and Letterkenny. A number of local businesses also had to evacuate customers.
Supt William Johnston last night said: “A call was made to Buncrana Garda station at 7.40pm saying there was a bomb in Bridgend and that we had one hour to evacuate the area.”
Around the same time, a white Transit van was seen parking in the car park of a Bridgend amusement arcade, the Blackthorn. The hazard lights were left on and a man was seen leaving the van.
Earlier in the evening, there were reports that a van had been hijacked in Derry by a number of armed men.