Attack 'may be sectarian'

The police have blamed loyalists for the attacks

An attack on the home of a 105-year-old woman in north Belfast may have been sectarian, police have said.

Four bricks were used to smash two windows at the property in the Oldpark area on Wednesday.

Her grandson said she had been hit by debris and was very badly shaken following the attack at Cliftondene Gardens.

In a separate attack, petrol bombs were thrown at the home of two young children in Clifton Park Avenue.

A four-month-old baby and a one-year-old child live in the house which suffered scorch damage in the attack.

The children's mother says she is now considering moving out.

The people of Belfast have suffered enough in the hands of thugs and paramilitaries, it is time for this suffering to end Martin Morgan Lord Mayor of Belfast

Windows were broken and bottles of paint were thrown at a number of other homes in the area.

The disturbances began at about 1850 GMT, and police later restored calm in the area.

The elderly woman, who has lived in the house for 28 years, had been sleeping in a downstairs room converted into a bedroom at the time of the attack.

She was taken by ambulance to be cared for in a residential home.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Martin Morgan, hit out at those responsible for the "despicable and disgraceful" attack.

"The people of Belfast have suffered enough in the hands of thugs and paramilitaries, it is time for this suffering to end," said the SDLP councillor.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the elderly victim."

'Totally sick'

Northern Ireland Security Minister Jane Kennedy said it was "particularly repugnant" that an elderly woman was targeted in an attack motivated by "base sectarianism".

"The perpetrators of this attack are cowardly, mindless thugs. It is incumbent on local loyalist community leaders to speak out now and condemn this atrocious behaviour in unequivocal terms," she said.

PSNI Chief Inspector Colin Taylor said he had been shocked at the TV pictures of the woman being taken out of her home.

"Three bricks were put through her living room window and there was one brick put through a landing window," he said.

"Three further properties were attacked with paint bombs.

Protestant community workers said two houses were attacked

"We believe possibly they were (sectarian attacks) - it is quite an early stage in the investigation.

"This is the first time that I remember there have been attacks in this area, getting on for a year and a half now."

Another house was targeted across the road from the pensioner's home.

Bricks and bottles of paint were thrown.

The owner of the house was sitting on the settee watching the television when the missiles showered the room.

She said: "I think anybody who does this in an area where there is absolutely no trouble whatsoever - where there is no stone throwing and no cause for this to happen - is totally sick."

Forensic examination

Residents said those who carried out the attacks ran off in the direction of the mainly loyalist Glenbryn estate.

The police have blamed loyalists for the attacks.

PSNI Chief Inspector Colin Taylor said he had been shocked

However, Protestant community workers said two houses in the loyalist part of Clifton Park Avenue were also attacked with paint.

In another development, a crowd gathered for a demonstration outside a house in nearby Alliance Avenue, but later dispersed.

The two incidents are not believed to be linked at this stage.

In a separate incident, petrol bombs have been thrown at three houses in Clifton Park Avenue in the north of the city.

The window frame of one house was slightly damaged and a wheelie bin at another was destroyed.

The police have taken away the remains of three devices for forensic examination.

Detectives appealing for information say they are particularly keen to speak to the driver of a dark-coloured car seen leaving the area shortly after the attacks.

It is believed that at least three people were travelling in the car.