Londonderry's Fountain estate residents 'scared' following stone throwing attack

Residents of Londonderry's Fountain estate have been left feeling "scared and intimidated" after reports of homes being attacked by stone-throwing youths, an assembly member has said. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said officers responded to reports of anti-social behaviour in the Nailors Row and Fountain area of the city at about 20:00 BST on Monday. Police said youths who had gathered in the area dispersed after engagement with officers. Julie Middleton, a Democratic Unionist Party assembly member (MLA), described the incident as "disgraceful", adding it followed a number of earlier attempts to intimidate residents. Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme, Middleton said fireworks had been thrown into the estate on Sunday while earlier on Monday, sectarian slurs had been shouted from the walls into the estate. Residents "feel a loss of hope", she said. She said their homes "should be a place of solace and peace", adding she had further concerns for residents of a nearby care home. "There are elderly residents there who should feel safe, secure and at rest, not scared and not wondering what's going on outside or if their window is going to be broken," she