Innishrush in Mid-Ulster: Gang of 30 youths carry out 'reckless' attack on Protestant village, says PSNI

Residents have complained for four years that gangs of youths from the nearby nationalist village of Clady launch attacks on them at Halloween.

Residents told police that a gang of about 30 young people approached the mainly Protestant village just after 9pm on Tuesday via a footbridge, and began throwing fireworks at their homes.

When police arrived the attack had ceased, but officers found a car nearby with a large quantity of fireworks in the boot. Further quantities of fireworks were found in a discarded rucksack, and on a man nearby.The fireworks were seized and enquiries are ongoing, police said.

The PSNI said it has made no arrests and is not treating the attack as a hate crime.

Local Policing Inspector Hughes said: “This was a significant seizure of fireworks. It is concerning that these young people acted in such a reckless manner.

"I would ask local parents and guardians to speak to their young people about where they are and who they are with, and to warn them of the dangers of getting involved in behaviour which could result in them injuring themselves or others.

"Ultimately, they could end up with a criminal record which may impact their future employment and travel prospects.

“We are aware that the residents of the village had concerns in the period approaching Hallowe’en and as such we had highlighted the area for increased proactive patrolling.”

TUV Mid Ulster representative Glenn Moore said this is the fourth year the village has been bombarded with fireworks, eggs and stones.

“The perpetrators enter via a footbridge from the neighbouring village of Clady,” he said.

“Shocking as this behaviour is, it is important to stress that it is nothing new with things like this happening for the past four years around the Halloween period.

"The attacks on the area happen year on year. That being so, the PSNI need to get their act together and proactively seek to bring them to an end."