Four young children witnessed a man being shot three times in a "brutal" paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast, police have said. The children were in a house in the Cavendish Street area yesterday evening when three men, dressed in dark clothing, forced their way in. The gang struck a 28-year-old man over the head before shooting him in both knees and his right ankle with a handgun. A detective said: "This was a brutal attack in a busy residential area and yet another example of how criminal groups seek to control communities through fear and violence. "The residents including young children have been left terrified by these events."

Source: Evening echo December 31, 2017 10:30 UTC