Man beaten with studded bats in raid

AN aggravated burglary in which a man was left with puncture wounds and a head injury after masked men armed with “bats studded with nails” forced their way into a flat has been described as “brutal.”

It occurred at around 10pm on Monday in Larne’s Upper Waterloo Road area.

The PSNI said a number of masked men forced their way into the flat and attacked the male occupant.

A spokesman added: “The occupant sustained a head injury and a number of puncture wounds on his body, and required hospital treatment following the incident.”

DUP councillor Gregg McKeen said he was shocked at the “medieval-style” weapon used, and it was “lucky someone wasn’t killed”.

Sinn Fein councillor James McKeown condemned the act as “brutal and cowardly.”

Anyone with information can call the PSNI on 101 quoting reference number 1549 14/05/18.