Gun attack on family

A 34-year-old man and his three children were severely shaken when their house in Northern Ireland was targeted in an early-morning gun attack.

The children, aged 15, eight and six, were woken in their home in Calbert Way in Ballynahinch, Co Down at around 2.30am by a number of loud bangs.

One shot shattered a living room window, showering their father with glass.

The victim sprinted upstairs and barricaded his family into a bedroom before phoning the police.

The living room wall, a hall door and a window were all damaged in the attack.

Detectives in Downpatrick have appealed to anyone in the area who may have seen suspicious activity before the attack or witnessed a vehicle speeding away after the attack to help their investigation.

Meanwhile a 37-year-old man was the victim of a so-called “paramilitary-style attack” last night in Dunmurry, Co Antrim.

Police said four masked men armed with baseball bats burst into a house in Ardcaoin Drive where he was watching television.

During the assault, the man sustained severe bruising to his body and a cut to the head.