Coffee-jar bombs end IRA Christmas truce

Two blasts early yesterday ended the Christmas truce in Northern Ireland. The coffee-jar bombs were thrown at a police station in Londonderry, but there were no reports of injuries and damage was not thought to be serious.

The explosions came just half an hour after the end of the IRA truce at midnight. Security services waited until first light to investigate the damage at Rosemount police station.

Four soldiers were slightly injured in a brawl with a gang of youths in west Belfast. One youth suffered minor injuries after being hit by a plastic bullet during the incident.