Loyalists blamed for gun attack on house

A young woman and her family had a lucky escape today after a number of shots were fired into her house in a flashpoint area of north Belfast.

Several shots were fired through the front window of the house in Park End Street, near the Limestone Road, which has seen a number of sectarian clashes in recent days.

Rival loyalist and nationalist gangs confronted each other in the area last Saturday and Sunday but were kept apart by police and the army.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry Kelly blamed today’s attack on the mainstream loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association.

‘‘This is the UDA’s Christmas present to the people of north Belfast,’’ he said.

‘‘This young woman is very lucky to be alive and we are fortunate not to have a death on our hands.

‘‘It follows a pattern of attacks which I am blaming on the UDA.

‘‘We have also had incidents in the days before Christmas eve, on Christmas eve itself and on Christmas day.’’

Today’s attack took place at about 6.45am.

Locals said the gunmen tried to get into the house through the back but when they failed, opened fire through the front window instead.

It was thought that four or five shots were fired.

One bullet lodged in the wall of the front room.