Fear as ball bearings used in three attacks

And a grandfather has spoken of his shock when a shot was fired at his home at the weekend, smashing a bedroom window.

Martin Lavery said he heard ‘a loud bang which was like an explosion’ at around 8pm on Sunday night

On investigation he found a huge ball bearing had been fired at an upstairs window at his Knockramer Meadows home. It had smashed the external pane of the double-glazing on an upstairs bedroom where his grandchildren normally stay.

Martin said only the night before his grandchildren aged five and six were in that bedroom and if the ball bearing had shot through they may have been hurt or killed.

“It’s disgraceful because the children could have been in the bedroom that night,” said the 53-year-old. “It is not worth thinking about. They could have seriously hurt or killed a child. I have just been through by-pass surgery and the stress has been awful. Thankfully nothing happened to the children,” he said.

A PSNI spokesperson said a lorry cab on the Eastway was hit by a ball bearing possibly from a catapult or BB gun at around 12.30am on Monday morning. The lorry was parked with one person inside. No one was hurt

The window of a house in Belvedere Manor was also damaged with what appears to be a ball bearing. The incident happened at approximately 9.30pm on Sunday, March 8. “A car was heard speeding off after the damage was caused. Police are unsure of the type of weapon used but a ballbearing was found at the scene so it is suspected a catapult or BB/air rifle gun was used,” said the PSNI. “We also suspect that the three incidents are related.”