Man flees his home after defying armed gang

A man was forced to flee in fear of his life after firing a shot to thwart an armed and masked gang threatening to attack him.

Father-of-two Joseph McCloskey quit his home in Derry today amid fears republicans were seeking revenge.

Police confirmed that a man who was injured in the shooting had been arrested while undergoing medical treatment for a leg wound.

Mr McCloskey’s mother Bridie wept when she demanded the gang lift its threat.

She said: ‘‘I want answers and I want them fast and I want guarantees that my son can come back here and live in his home.’’

Sinn Fein’s Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness, who lives in Derry, has been urged to intervene. He was unavailable for comment tonight.

Mr McCloskey fired from a legally-held shotgun when a gang of five masked men armed with handguns and sledgehammer tried to break in and fired into his house on Drumleck Gardens, Shantallow, on Monday night.

He and his brother managed to frighten them off before police were called.

The incident may be linked to a pub brawl at the weekend.

An RUC spokesman said: ‘‘It is not our policy to comment on threats against individuals.’’