Police say find in bag was paint gun

A shot was fired at the front door of a property at Woodburn Avenue recently.

The items were recovered at Castlemara Drive on the evening of February 9.

Police have denied that a loaded firearm was located in a hedge.

Commenting on the find, Inspector Martin Ruddy said: “A search in relation to this was carried out at a house in the Castlemara Drive area of Carrickfergus on the evening of Thursday February 16.

“A number of items were seized for further examination.”

Meanwhile, three gun crimes have taken place in Carrick recently.

On Sunday evening, money was stolen from a delivery driver during an armed robbery.

Last month, a house at Woodburn Avenue was targeted and a house at Oakfield Drive in the Glenfield estate was broken into by a gunman. Children were present on both occasions.

A bullet passed through the front door into the hallway and through the rear door of the house at Woodburn Avenue.

At Oakfield Drive, a gang, two of whom were believed to have been carrying firearms, forced their way into the property before demanding money.

The victim had to be treated in hospital for cuts and bruises but a female and children were unharmed.

Police are trying to establish a motive for these incidents which took place within less than a week.

Meanwhile, police have been carrying out searches in Carrick in recent weeks.

The PSNI has said that it has recently “stepped up patrols and conducted proactive investigations into organised crime groups in Carrick”.