A 12-YEAR-OLD boy was arrested in Derry after petrol bombs thrown at police when they were “lured into the area”.

The PSNI said it had arrested three male youths following the disturbances in the Moss Park are , two aged 17 and one aged 12. The three are still being detained.

The incident began when police were called to the scene of a suspect device near a polling station at St. Paul’s Primary School in Galliagh at about 7pm this evening.

“When officers attended the scene this evening they came under attack with five petrol bombs being thrown at them. One of the petrol bombs thrown was in the Glengalliagh Park area where there was a number of children in close proximity to where it landed,” PSNI Foyle said in a statement.

Police said that they have recovered six petrol bombs along with 20 paint bombs and two crates of empty bottles.

Superintendent Gordon McCalmont said the disturbances were planned as an attack on police:

There is no doubt my officers were lured into the area this evening and that those involved in this orchestrated disorder had one aim in mind – to attack police.

“This was all the more reckless by the fact that one of the petrol bombs hurled at police landed in close proximity to young children who could have been left seriously injured, or worse.”

The polling station remained open during the incident but it follows a similar incident during the local elections earlier this month when another alert caused disruption.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it was a direct effort to try to subvert democracy

“Once again someone has put a suspect device to try and interrupt the process of democracy in Derry and it just won’t happen,” he said.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact the PSNI.