POLICE have been asked to step up patrols around the Peace Bridge in Derry after a number of reportedly sectarian incidents near the landmark.
In the latest incident a Protestant man suffered a black eye and bruising to his body when he was set upon by a number of youths.
Alistair Gault said his 21-year-old son was knocked unconscious and robbed as he made his way home following a night out. He said he had no doubt the attack was sectarian.
Mr Gault said his son had been to a birthday party in the city centre and was making his way home when a group of youths targeted him and called him sectarian names.
"Two guys linked unto him and got him onto Browning Drive and gave him a beating and mugged him and took his wallet," he told the BBC.
"He was knocked on the head and knocked unconscious and had a black eye."
Mr Gault said his son was called sectarian names by his attackers.
"My son isn't a sectarian person and it is so sad seeing things like this happen in the town."
In the wake of the attack DUP politicians met senior police officers yesterday to discuss what they have described as a rise in sectarian tensions around the Peace Bridge and St Columb’s Park in the city’s Waterside.
In one incident, the party said a community worker and a friend were assaulted after going to help a young man wearing a Northern Ireland jersey.
DUP assembly member Gary Middleton said he raised both the issue of sectarianism and anti-social behaviour with police.
Mr Middleton said: “Both of these entwined are causing real difficulties where within the Waterside community and creating a real fear.”
The MLA said he got reassurances from the police that they would be committing additional resources to St Columb's Park.
"We did stress the need for a wider strategy. Recently we have seen an increased amount of tension in the area," he said.
Derry police chief Gordon McCalmont said they were working to make St Columb’s Park a safe place for everyone.
"This sectarian element has come to the fore in the past week and it is causing us concern that somebody might be in the background orchestrating this," he said.
"We must make the park an uncomfortable place for anyone with criminal intent or sectarian motives."
A number of statutory agencies are expected to meet later this week to discuss ways of dealing with anti-social and sectarian behaviour around the Peace Bridge and St Columb’s Park.
Police meanwhile are treating an attack on a woman in the Catholic Gobnascale area of Derry as sectarian.
A police spokesman said the victim, who was in her 30s, was assaulted by two other women at Derryview Terrace around 11.45pm on Saturday. She was also subjected to sectarian abuse during the attack.
The spokesman said: “The female victim required hospital treatment as a result of her injuries, which are not believed to be lift threatening.”
