Shots fired at houses

A loyalist Progressive Unionist politician has said two houses targeted in shooting attacks on Monday night were owned by members of his party.

Ken Wilkinson's party is linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force which is currently involved in a dispute with the rival loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association/Ulster Freedom Fighters.

Tensions have centred on north and west Belfast, after two men were shot dead outside a bookmakers on the Crumlin Road on Monday. One of the men had links to the UDA.

Mr Wilkinson said the attacks in Portballintrae and Dervock in north County Antrim were on members of his party.

Meanwhile, the occupants of two houses in east Belfast and Londonderry have escaped injury in separate attacks.

Children escape injury

In the north County Antrim attacks a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl were among four people who escaped injury when a shotgun was fired through a window in Portballintrae.

The attack in Causeway View, happened at about midnight.

In Dervock, County Antrim, a man escaped injury when a number of shots were fired through the living room window of a house in Greystone Crescent.

Shots were fired through the front window of a house in Uniondale Street in east Belfast just after 2300 BST.

There were no reports of any injuries.

In Londonderry shots were fired at a house in Lincoln Courts.

There was no-one in the house at the time.

The police are working to establish motives for the attack.

In another incident a car believed to belong to a member of the PUP had its windows smashed at Loughanhill Park in Coleraine, County Londondonderry on Monday night.