'Criminal damage' at Greenisland salon

Julie Bell, owner of Hairways salon, said the problem was discovered when she and staff reopened the premises on Monday, July 6.

"We started to work and turned the water on; within a minute the floor was flooded," Julie said.

"The plumber came out and said there was a blockage somewhere; it turned out that someone had set fire to the drain pipe outside and it had melted and blocked the outlet pipe. The water had nowhere to go and was coming back in on us.

"This was only our first day back and we couldn't use any water in the salon until the plumber sorted it out.

"This wasn't accidental; someone lit that fire deliberately and the whole shop could have gone up in flames.

"We don't even know when it happened as we had been closed for three months."

The incident follows increased reports of antisocial behaviour in the Station Road area since coronavirus restrictions came into place.

Last month, PSNI pledged to carry out additional patrols following claims that large groups of young people were "intimidating" residents and shoppers.

"There has been a lot of antisocial behaviour in the area around the train station; especially since all this [lockdown] started. We are having to think about putting CCTV in at the side of the shop," added Julie.

"There are just hordes of teenagers hanging about and they aren't even from this area. I just wish parents would be more aware and take some responsibility."

Commenting on the incident, Knockagh representative Councillor Bobby Hadden said: "This was the first day back in business for Julie who, like a lot of others, has invested significantly in PPE to ensure the safety of customers. She has been in business for over 30 years in Greenisland and certainly doesn’t deserve to have to deal with wanton criminal damage.

"If anyone in Greenisland sees any unusual activity outside any of the shops please alert the police. Julie and everyone else providing a service deserve our support, especially in these difficult times."

A PSNI spokesperson said officers would "continue to monitor the area", adding: "Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1484 of 07/07/70."