Bomb explodes at Derry City of Culture office

A bomb has exploded outside the City of Culture offices in Londonderry.

Police say they are not aware of any injuries and the damage to the building appears to be relatively minor.

A warning with a recognised codeword is understood to have been given at around 22:00 BST - less than an hour before the explosion in Guildhall Square.

Security sources say the attack had all the hallmarks of dissident republicans, who damaged a door of the same building with a pipe bomb in January.

Witnesses to the latest bomb said it was a large blast which left smoke billowing out of the building.

Resident Karl Hamilton said the force shook his house across the river and woke most of his children up.

"I had just finished putting my children in bed about 20 minutes beforehand when we suddenly felt the house shake," he told the BBC.

"Windows and doors rattled, accompanied by an extremely loud bang.

"Initially I thought it was fireworks before realising it was the bomb. The younger children still think it was a firework - that way they won't be worried.

"The older ones, however, are immediately broadcasting the news on Facebook."

He added: "I really don't understand why the perpetrators of such action actually think they represent the vast majority of people in our city when most of us just want a simple life."

After receiving the warning, police cleared the immediate area including a number of bars and restaurants and called the Army bomb squad, but the device went off before they arrived.

A large part of the city centre was cordoned off.

'Many challenges'

Foyle MP Mark Durkan said: "Thankfully no-one has been injured but those graces are no thanks to those who are behind this attack.

"They are out to destroy and they don't care if they injure or kill when they are at it.

"Derry is a city with many challenges and with many difficulties. But the City of Culture is one of the opportunities we have."

He added: "This callous and dangerous act flies in the face of the efforts made by so many people to improve life here."

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell also condemned the bombing.

"These people are merely trying to do what others have tried for 30 years before them, and failed," Mr Campbell said.

"They simply do not get the picture, it doesn't matter how many times they try they will repeatedly fail as their predecessors in the Provisional IRA did before them."