Man shot in ankles and wrists

A man has been shot in an attack which bore all the hallmarks of an old-style paramilitary punishment attack.

Police said today the 34-year-old man was shot in both ankles and both wrists at around 11pm last night in the west of Belfast.

He was shot in an alleyway off the Glen Road by a number of men who then fled the scene on foot.

A motive for the attack was being investigated, said a police spokesman.

The victim was being treated in hospital for injuries which were not believed to be life threatening.

Police appealed for anyone in the Glen Road area at the time, especially between the Rosnareen and Culmore areas, to contact them if they saw anything suspicious.