Colchester soldiers have been rocked by a bomb blast at their Northern Ireland garrison.

And it is feared the attack on the Royal Anglians' military base in Londonderry is part of a build-up to an all-out offensive by dissident republicans

Nobody was injured in the 6.30am explosion which demolished a perimeter fence and the wall of an unmanned guardhouse at Ebrington Barracks on the city's Waterside area yesterday (Thursday).

But it was the second attack on a security installation in Northern Ireland in less than two months. It heightened fears of a developing campaign by former IRA terrorists opposed to the Good Friday Agreement.

The 500-strong 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment are halfway through their tour of duty in Londonderry.

They include a company of troops from Essex whose commanding officer is Lieutenant Colonel Richard Kemp from Maldon.

In an interview with the Gazette at Ebrington Barracks last year Lt Col Kemp said: "The major difficulty that we have now is that although the Provisional IRA are in a ceasefire there are dissident groups - the Continuity IR, the Real IRA - who are not. They are strong in this area.

"We believe they have the capacity to mount a sustained attack. They have volunteers, equipment and expertise."

After the blast the area was sealed off and a sniffer dog brought in to help search for any further devices in or around one of the main military barracks in Northern Ireland where hundreds of troops are stationed.

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