CCTV shows the moment a group of young people walk past a pizza delivery vehicle minutes before it exploded in a bomb attack blamed on the New IRA.
A fifth man was arrested today by police after armed men hijacked the car and left it outside a courthouse in Londonderry on Saturday night before it burst into a fireball.
The latest arrest came as shocking footage emerged showing the blast in the quiet city centre street just before 8.10pm - just 30 minutes after a group of seven came within just yards of it as they strolled past.
The area was later evacuated after a phone call was made the Samaritans in the West Midlands which tipped off police. Nobody was injured in the attack.
A man in his fifties was arrested today and detained under the Terrorism Act. Four men arrested on Sunday remain in police custody.
CCTV footage released today by police in Northern Ireland shows the terrifying moment the hijacked vehicle explodes outside a court house
Footage shows the group of young people walking withing yards of the vehicle outside the courthouse on Saturday night - 30 minutes before it exploded
The burnt wreckage of the vehicle outside Londonderry's courthouse on Saturday night after the car bomb attack which has sparked fears of a return to terrorist violence
The clean-up gets underway on Sunday morning as a forensic officer inspects the remains of the exploded van
Political leaders called the explosion an 'act of terror' and warned that the 'dark days of the past' could return to the province, as police pointed the finger at the New IRA, a dissident republican group they called 'small and unrepresentative'.
DUP leader Arlene Foster called the blast a 'pointless act of terror' while the Alliance party said it was 'an attack on everything we have worked towards over the past 20 years'.
Yesterday Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said: 'Our main line of inquiry is against the New IRA.
The remains of a car after a suspected car bombing in Londonerry, Northern Ireland yesterday
'The New IRA, like most dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland, is small, largely unrepresentative, and determined to drag people back to somewhere they don't want to be.
'Fortunately it didn't kill anybody and fortunately it didn't cause widespread damage, but clearly it was a very significant attempt to kill people in the local community.'
Describing the attack, he said: 'A bomb was put in that car, driven at least half a mile to outside the court house on Bishop Street and around three minutes later a phone call went in to the Samaritans in West Midlands in England, which was then passed to West Midlands Police who then contacted us.
'In the intervening minutes we had already found the car and started to evacuate the area. At around 8.09pm, the bomb detonated.'
One local resident, Greg McLaughlin, told BBC News the explosion had shaken his windows.
He said: 'It was very, very loud. I knew right away this was a bomb. We knew it was quite close.
'You could see the ball of fire on the street. It sounded to me like a very significant blast. I haven't heard anything like it in Derry for quite a while.'
DUP leader Ms Foster said on Twitter: 'This pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms.
Forensic officers arrive at the scene of the car bomb in Londonderry today after the explosion on Saturday night
'Only hurts the people of the City. Perpetrated by people with no regard for life.'
Alliance party leader Naomi Long said: 'I, like many in the community tonight, am completely appalled and disgusted at this murderous attack.
'[It is] an attack on our peace, our prosperity and everything we have worked towards over the past 20 years, and an attack on the people of Derry-Londonderry.
'It is absolutely sickening that there are still people willing to bring violence to our streets and risk people's lives and livelihoods.
The scene of the blast in Londonderry last night after what was reported to be a pizza delivery van was hijacked nearby
The shell of the vehicle is seen on Bishop Street after the explosion which Arlene Foster has condemned as a 'pointless act of terror'
The scene of a suspected car bomb on Bishop Street in Londonderry (pictured). Police evacuated the area last night
'The people of Derry~Londonderry and of Northern Ireland are united in condemning this vile attack: those determined to drag us back to the dark days of the past can and must never be successful.'
Sinn Fein have also condemned the explosion, saying: 'This incident has shocked the local community. In particular, there are many elderly residents who live in the area who have been alarmed by this incident.
'Thankfully no one appears to have been injured in this incident. Derry is a city moving forward and no one wants this type of incident. It is not representative of the city.'
Police described the attack as 'unbelievably reckless' as forensic officers
