16/12/2008

South Belfast Home Targeted By Gun-Gang

A man has been assaulted by a masked gang in the normally safe environment of his own home in the Belfast suburb of Newtownbreda.

It is understood that up to five men - one of them believed to have been carrying a gun - forced their way into the man's home at about 10.30pm last night, (Monday).

The gang then tied up and beat their victim before ransacking the Newtownbreda Road property.

The gang made off in a silver Mercedes car. Their victim was treated in hospital for "non life-threatening injuries", a police spokeswoman said.

Detectives have appealed to anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

Meanwhile, and also in south Belfast, it has emerged that a small sum of cash has been stolen from a bank.

It happened in Great Victoria Street when a man grabbed money from behind the counter of the bank shortly after 2pm on Friday last.

The man then fled across Great Victoria Street towards Albion Street with a male accomplice.

The police said that two cars were forced to brake suddenly as the pair ran across the road. Police have appealed for information about that incident as well.

Meanwhile, despite a survey indicating that four out of five people affected by crime were "satisfied" with the police’s overall response, a watchdog body has said that police "must do more to keep victims of crime informed about the investigation of their cases".

The NI Policing Board Chairman, Sir Des Rea, has urged the PSNI to "up its efforts" after the service failed to meet a target to improve the performance of its victims' liaison service.

Sir Des said he was disappointed the goal of increasing satisfaction levels by 5% had not been met.

This lack of progress on that issue, is despite other findings of the latest victims' survey, which showed some 80% of people who have been victims of crime saying they are satisfied with the overall service they have received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

This is according to a joint survey published by the Northern Ireland Policing Board and PSNI, the '2007/08 Quality of Service Survey', which monitors how victims feel about how the police deal with their cases.

(BMcC)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

18 April 2024
NI Civil Service Launches New Neurodiversity Toolkt
As part of Autism Awareness Month, the Civil Service has announced the launch of a new Neurodiversity Line Manager's Toolkit. As an equal opportunities employer the Civil Service has said that it is committed to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces supporting and promoting neurodiversity in the workplace is a key part of their commitment.
23 June 2016
Police Officers Disciplined For Failing To Tell Doctor About Woman's Head Injuries
Two police officers have been disciplined after they failed to let their colleagues and a police doctor know that a woman had sustained a head injury, a Police Ombudsman investigation has concluded. The woman died from bleeding to the brain on 24 February 2014, the day after she suffered the injury.
21 April 2016
Officer Disciplined For Failing To Properly Investigate Assault On Boy
A police officer has been disciplined after failing to properly investigate an allegation that a man annoyed by children playing football near his car, attacked a 12-year-old boy by kicking him on the hand.
04 September 2009
PSNI Cuts Uproar
An already financially beleaguered police service is facing fresh cutbacks. As a result, the Northern Ireland Policing Board is to challenge the Government over proposed £17m cuts in the police service budget. Members are expected to hold a crunch meeting with the NIO Security Minister, it has been announced.
04 September 2007
NI Policing Board Seeks Custody Visitors
The Northern Ireland Policing Board has launched a campaign to recruit Custody Visitors to join the Board’s Custody Visiting Scheme. The volunteer scheme, which operates throughout Northern Ireland, is a means of monitoring how people who are held in police custody are treated.