Anger as gang shoots man in his 40s in both legs

POLITICIANS have condemned a paramilitary-style shooting in north Belfast.

A man in his 40s was shot in both legs in the Ardoyne area on Wednesday night.

He was taken to hospital for treatment and his condition was described as stable.

North Belfast Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly said: “I condemn whoever was involved.

“A number or residents in Ardoyne and wider north Belfast have been shot dead in the recent past by various small armed groups masquerading as protectors.

“The community does not support such actions and they need to stop.

“There is no place for guns on our streets.

“Anyone with information on this attack should bring it forward to the police.”

PSNI statistics show there were 17 casualties of paramilitary-style shootings in the 12 months to the end of July.

All victims were aged over 18 and 10 of the attacks occurred in Derry city and Strabane.

There were 61 casualties of paramilitary-style assaults in the same period, compared to 57 in the previous 12 months.

The majority of these occurred in Belfast (20 casualties) and Antrim and Newtownabbey (16 casualties).

Four of the 61 victims were under 18 years old.

Writing in today’s Belfast Telegraph (below), Liam Kennedy, a founder member of Children of the Troubles, which campaigns against paramilitary attacks being carried out against children, said statistics indicated that well over 6,000 punishment shootings and beatings had taken place since 1973.

He said that figure represented “an appalling toll of human suffering”.

Condemning the latest shooting in Belfast, SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said that the criminals behind the attack needed to “face justice”

People Before Profit councillor Fiona Ferguson said that she was “horrified” to hear of the shooting.

Former Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister said it was “frightening” to hear that more guns were on the streets.