Police probe bus lane camera car daylight attack

Footage of the incident on the Falls Road shows a man stamping on the roof of the car, smashing the windscreen and trying to damage its mounted camera.

According to reports, the woman who was inside the vehicle at the time – a Department for Infrastructure employee – was grabbed by the throat when she got out of the car.

The attacker was then filmed fighting in the street with another man who intervened, and the footage has been widely shared on social media.

Police are investigating the daylight attack, which happened on Tuesday afternoon.

It the second attack of this kind in the same area inside a month, after a man wearing a balaclava used a hammer to smash the windows of a bus lane camera vehicle parked on the Falls Road back in March.

West Belfast Sinn Fein MLA Fra McCann said: “This should be condemned by everyone and the fact that it was carried out in broad daylight again highlights the difficulties faced by this community in the battle against criminal behaviour.

“The people who carry out these attacks do not speak for the West Belfast community and they need to stop immediately.”

A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson told the News Letter: “The department strongly condemns this attack on staff as they carry out their contractual requirements in relation to the department’s bus lane enforcement policies.

“The safety of staff in carrying out their work is a priority.

“The incident is being investigated by the PSNI and we would encourage anyone with information to bring it to their attention.”