Catholics forced out of homes

A Catholic man is planning to move out of the house where he was tied up and beaten by a loyalist gang who also ransacked the property on the outskirts of south Belfast.

The 27-year-old was in his home in Newtownbreda when the men came to the door at around 8.30pm.

Up to five men wearing masks or balaclavas were involved in the attack in which they used hammers and bats to beat their victim.

Their victim managed to free himself and is receiving hospital treatment for his injuries.

His father lives next door but was not at home when the man was targeted. Speaking afterwards he said they both intended leaving the area following the incident.

ATTACK CONDEMNED

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has condemned an attack at the home of a former UDR member in county Fermanagh. Sammy Brush, now a DUP Councillor in county Fermanangh, was the target of an IRA attack 27 years ago.

Former Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle member Gerry McGeough is currently on bail awaiting trial on charges relating to the attack. He was controversially arrested last year after voting in the Assembly election, in which he stood as an independent republican candidate.

An outhouse behind Mr Brush’s home in Ballygawley was damaged in the incident on Tuesday night, one of a number of such attacks in recent years.

MP for the area, Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildenew said the attack was to be “condemned outright”.

“Those behind the attack have to realise that they have very little to achieve and any attacks like this serve no purpose.

“The community have shown our support previously for Mr Brush when his family home was attacked and we will continue to do so. No elected representative and their families should be targeted like this.”

BOMB ALERT

A residents in Limavady, County Derry were evacuated after a bomb alert close to the town’s PSNI base.

The incident was declared a hoax after a British Army bomb-disposal unit examined the device at the PSNI station at Connell Street.

Also last week, a pipe bomb was made safe outside a house in west Belfast. The attack in Lenadoon Avenue is thought to be drugs-related.

Sinn Féin Councillor Gerard O’Neill said that those responsible for leaving the bomb outside the house need to realise that the community does not want these type of attacks to occur and that they need to stop.

Urgent Appeal