Six move out after student home attacked

The six people living in a student house in south Belfast whose house was attacked with a blast bomb last night have said they are all moving out.

The living room of their house in Tates Avenue was extensively damaged after a blast bomb was thrown into the downstairs bedroom.

At around 12.30am three of the six occupants of the house, who are of mixed religion, were upstairs when the device studded with nails exploded causing extensive damage inside the bedroom.

Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee for Employment and Learning Dr Esmond Birnie said he condemned the attack.

“Last night’s bomb attack is to be utterly condemned and seems to have been designed to either kill or seriously injure. There are certainly problems around integrating and absorbing the large student population into inner South Belfast, but this is certainly not the way forward.”

South Belfast UUP assembly member Michael McGimpsey said it was nothing sort of the miraculous that no one was seriously hurt.

He added it was time Queen’s University took full responsibility for first year accommodation.

“For too many years the University has adopted an elitist approach and failed to fully connect with the local community or to take seriously their responsibility for students’ welfare. Many residents have now left the area while those remaining are in danger of becoming further demoralised.”

Mr McGimpsey also called on Queen’s to introduce health, safety and education projects to increase student awareness of the issues they face in the community.

“This part of South Belfast is becoming renowned for vandalism, noise, pollution, rubbish dumping, burglaries, robberies, assaults and there are indications of a developing drug culture,” he said.

“This situation is fast reaching intolerable levels and so the issues surrounding student accommodation cannot be shelved any longer.”

(AMcE)