Four arrested after incident in Ballymena
FOUR people have been arrested following a disturbance in Ballymena on Saturday evening after a dog was allegedly kicked.
Footage of an incident involving a number of people in the Tardree Grove area was circulated widely on social media.
A window at a property close to the scene of the disturbance in the Co Antrim town was broken yesterday afternoon.
In a statement yesterday the police commander for the area, Superintendent Darrin Jones, called for calm.
He said: “We have been working hard with both elected and community representatives to try to identify options and solutions that will resolve the current tension within Ballymena for everyone.
“All of the local statutory and voluntary agencies are also collaborating closely to address the concerns raised by the whole community.
“As a police service we have deployed extra community patrols and extra resources to the area over recent weeks. I can assure all residents that we take our responsibility seriously to keep everyone in Mid and East Antrim safe.”
The officer said a thorough investigation into both the original disturbance and the subsequent attack on the house is now under way, “and we must permit detectives the space to investigate and we must allow justice to take its course”.
“Speculation, both online and in the community, regarding the circumstances and possible motives is extremely unhelpful,” he said.
“It is not supportive of the police investigation and is not characteristic of the people of Ballymena.”
He added: “I would urge people to please remember that everyone who has made their home in Ballymena has the right to expect to be shown tolerance and respect, and likewise they should display those same qualities to others.”
On social media a man had claimed a dog — “which is a much-loved pet, a three year-old pug” — had been kicked.
A PSNI spokeswoman said four people were arrested in connection with the disturbance on Saturday.
“It’s understood that a number of people from adjoining properties were involved in a fight in the street at around 5.45pm, after a dog was allegedly kicked,” she said yesterday.
“The arrested individuals, two males and two females, remain in custody at present”.
In Tardree Grove yesterday afternoon, no one was present at the damaged property.
In recent weeks, politicians have noted increased tensions in Ballymena and linked it to an influx of Romanians to the area.
But it is understood police are not treating the Saturday night disturbance at Tardree Grove as being racially motivated.
Asked about a possible motive for the window being broken, the police issued the statement from Superintendent Jones.