Distretto NordRiot

Rathcoole, seconda notte di disordini. Lealisti incendiano un bus guidato da una donna

Female bus driver hijacked in riot

A female bus driver has escaped injury but been left badly shaken after being hijacked during a second night of rioting in Newtownabbey.

Riot a Rathcoole, NewtownabbeyThe hijacking happened at the Cloughferm Roundabout in the town on Tuesday evening, before the vehicle was set alight near the loyalist Rathcoole estate.

“This was a terrible ordeal and an absolutely disgraceful and callous thing to do,” Michael Dornan from Unite union, which represents bus drivers, said.

Warning that services would be withdrawn while drivers were being put at risk, he added: “People depend on public transport to get to their work, their schools, to do their shopping – this attack deprives people of that.”

A number of petrol bombs have also been thrown at police patrolling the area.

The attack on the Translink worker comes after another bus driver was hijacked on Monday night – he was dragged from the vehicle and beaten, sustaining a serious facial injury. The inside of his bus was doused with petrol.

Local community worker Phil Hamilton has blamed an “anti-social element” for the violence.

“I think that there is a group within the area who don’t represent anyone,” he told UTV.

“And there’s a simple message coming out – these people need to take ownership, this is our community that they’re wrecking.”

In a direct appeal to the young people involved, and their parents, Mr Hamilton added: “This needs to stop as soon as possible.”

Police have also urged anyone with influence in the community to persuade people not to take part in the rioting and asked parents to take responsibility for their children.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the Cloughfern Corner on the Doagh Road and Station Road.

Monday night’s disorder saw six cars and a bus destroyed and caused up to £200,000 worth of damage

Pagina precedente 1 2
Tags

René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

Related Articles

Close