Woman and children escape gun attack

A woman and children had a narrow escape tonight after their North Belfast home was attacked with gunfire in a sectarian flash point area of the city.

Bullets pierced the wall of a house in Alliance Avenue in the nationalist Ardoyne area, with one also striking the living room window during the attack around 9pm. Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan blamed the attack on members of the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association.

“The attack was launched from a derelict house in the loyalist Glenbryn area and we were very lucky not to have anyone killed tonight,” she claimed.

“The woman was sitting in her living room when one of the bullets came through the window and embedded in the wall.

“A few minutes earlier, children were playing near a wall which a number of other bullets struck.

“Loyalists have launched a series of attacks from this derelict house in the past and today I told the Housing Executive of the need to address this problem.

“Perhaps now people will believe the residents of Ardoyne when they say this is where attacks are being launched.”

Ms McClenaghan said the incident proved “yet again” that the loyalist UDA was not operating a “No first strike” policy in north Belfast as it had claimed.

It is understood the family targeted in the attack were being treated for shock.