Prison officers targeted in attacks

A bullet penetrated a front window of the house in Bangor

There have been two separate attacks on prison officers in Counties Antrim and Down.

They are the latest in a series of attacks linked to a prisoners' dispute at Northern Ireland's high security prison, Maghaberry, in County Antrim.

On Friday, a shot was fired at the family home of a retired prison officer in Bangor.

A man, a woman and two teenage boys escaped injury in the attack in the Westmorland area of the town at 0040 BST.

They were upstairs in their home when the shot was fired through a living room.

In another attack, a petrol bomb was thrown at a prison officer's car.

The car was parked in the driveway of a house in the Ferndale area of Newtownabbey when the attack happened at 2300 BST on Thursday.

There was minor scorch damage to the vehicle which was removed for examination by forensic scientists.

No-one was injured.

Police said a man wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap was seen running away from the scene of the attack.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) is blaming loyalists for the petrol bomb attack.

Attacks

Last week, POA leader Finlay Spratt said he had been informed of a threat by the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association, against his staff.

On Thursday, several families had to leave their homes in Maghaberry as a suspicious object found outside a pub was examined.

Last Wednesday, a controlled explosion was carried out on a package found outside a prison officer's home in the village. It also turned out to be a hoax.

Also on Wednesday, there was an arson attack on a car parked outside a house in Greenisland, County Antrim. No-one was injured.

The Prison Officers' Association said the incident was at the home of a retired officer.

Earlier in September, a review of safety at Maghaberry recommended separating republican and loyalist prisoners.

The move is being introduced in the wake of violent clashes between rival groups in Maghaberry prison and in the face of a "dirty protest" by a group of dissident republicans.

That report conceded separation for loyalist and republican prisoners at Maghaberry prison.