Two police officers and a woman were injured last night after a gunman opened fire on a polling station in Co Londonderry.

The incident occurred outside St Mary's Primary School in Draperstown at about 9.45pm.

A gunman stepped out of a car and opened fire as people headed in to the polling station to cast their votes.

It is understood the police returned fire, firing one shot.

The attacker is believed to have fled the scene in a silver Volkswagen Passat.

One Royal Ulster Constabulary officer was wounded in the shoulder, his colleague was struck in the arm and a young woman was also hit in the leg during the attack.

The shooting was condemned by Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid, who claimed it showed "the total contempt for democracy that these people have.

"They have no principles. They have no mandate and they dare not seek a mandate because what they represent has been rejected time and again by the people of Ireland, north and south."

Dr Reid extended his sympathy to the injured.

It was not clear at this stage which paramilitary group was responsible for the gun attack.

However there had been warnings in recent days that dissident republicans were planning either a gun or bomb attack in Northern Ireland or another part of the UK during the election campaign.

The shooting overshadowed a heavy day of polling throughout Northern Ireland.