Appeal for calm after new attack

The petrol bomb caused severe scorch damage to the house

A Sinn Fein assembly member has appealed for calm in a troubled area of west Belfast following a petrol bomb attack on a woman's home.

It happened early on Saturday in the Divismore area of Ballymurphy.

The living room and the kitchen were scorch damaged in the attack. The woman escaped injury.

Sinn Fein MLA Michael Ferguson said tensions had been running high in the area since the killing of father-of-six Gerard Devlin on 3 February.

"Under no circumstances is it acceptable to attack anyone in their home in this way," he said.

"The Devlin family, like myself, for a full week now have been calling for people not to be taking this sort of action or getting involved, but to allow them to bury their loved one with peace and dignity."

Meanwhile, police have released details of a petrol bomb attack in the Ballymurphy area of west Belfast on Friday night which they say may also be linked to the murder of Mr Devlin.

A number of houses in Whitecliffe Parade were scorch damaged in the incident.

Trouble has been continuing in the Ballymurphy area since the death of Mr Devlin, including a number of petrol bomb attacks.

Four men appeared in court earlier this week charged over the killing.