POLICE INVESTIGATE VICIOUS ATTACKS

The police are investigating three overnight incidents in the Ballymena area which are believed to be linked and which are being treated as sectarian.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday June 20 men were seen acting suspiciously on the grounds of Crebilly Catholic Church near Ballykeel. Police were alerted to their presence but the men managed to escape from the scene. Police later found two tyres stuffed with newspaper on the grounds of the church. Some time later they also discovered four tyre tubes close to the side door of the Church of Our Lady in Harryville.

At 12.40am a petrol bomb was thrown through the window of a public house on the Carnlough Road outside Broughshane. The bomb failed to explode and no-one was injured. A car was seen driving away from the scene.

Meanwhile, riot police were called in to protect children and parents from a vicious stoning attack on June 19 from Holy Cross Primary School at Ardoyne Road in Belfast. The incident began at around 2.20pm and quickly deteriorated. Police were obliged to intervene to separate crowds from both sides of the peace line.

North Belfast District Commander, Superintendent Roger Maxwell, appealed to people of goodwill on all sides of the community to use their influence to prevent recurrence of such incidents. (CD)