The police in Derry have described as "despicable and disgraceful" a stone and paint-bomb attack yesterday afternoon on officers escorting a hearse containing the body of a woman, aged 59, to Altnagelvin Hospital.
The attack took place in the nationalist Gobnascale estate in the Waterside area. PSNI officers were called to the estate after the woman's body was found by workmen in her Mimosa Court home. "We were detailed to the scene just before midday," a PSNI spokesman said.
"The deceased lived with her disabled daughter. Although no crime was involved, we have a duty to investigate a sudden death on behalf of the city's coroner. Our officers and social workers were at the scene for several hours and we were obliged to escort the hearse containing the remains to hospital for the purpose of a post-mortem.
"As we escorted the hearse from Mimosa Court, a crowd of between 10 and 12 youths threw stones and paint bombs at the police officers on escort duty. The officers as well as neighbours of the deceased couldn't believe it when this attack took place at such a sensitive time for the deceased's family and friends, and at a time when they were carrying out their statutory duty.
"We would appeal to community leaders to help stop attacks on the emergency services."