Arrest Follows Gun Attack In North

Four children and two adults escaped injury when two masked men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, fired at a house in west Belfast overnight.

It happened at White Rise, Lagmore on Monday evening.

A police spokesperson said four shots hit the front door of the Dunmurry premises on Monday evening.

A 34-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the west Belfast attack which the police said is neither sectarian or drug-related.

Local SDLP Councillor Matthew McDermott condemned the shooting: "It's clear that those that carried this out had absolutely no regard for the safety of local people.

'This was carried out at 8.30pm in the school half term holiday, when children were still playing in streets, or being put to bed, and this could have caused death or serious injury to any one of them.

"It's sickening to hear that there were four children in the house when this happened.

"This type of cowardly action is completely unacceptable and these people need to be taken off the streets. I would call on anyone who has any information that could lead to these people being brought to justice to bring that information to the police," he said.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin MLA for West Belfast Jennifer McCann has stated that those behind the incident in White Rise in the Lagmore area could have killed children.

"This shooting was wholly indiscriminate and could have seen children as young as six killed.

"Those responsible showed no regard for whoever was in the house at the time and opened fire while four children were inside," she said this morning.

(BMcC/KMcA)