Man 'shot in front of children'

The man was attacked in the kitchen of his home

A man was shot in a paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast while his children were in the house, according to a neighbour.

The 29-year-old was admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds to both legs. He is in a stable condition.

He was attacked at about 2115 BST on Thursday in the kitchen of his home in Norglen Crescent after a number of people got into the house.

Anne Russell said she was alerted by the man's 10-year-old son.

"When I went over he had been lying in the working kitchen where he had been shot," she said.

"The wee boy was in a terrible state and the young baby was lying sleeping on the settee at a year and a half.

"His wife was just in deep shock, the girl didn't know whether she was coming or going. But it was a terrible sight for any child to actually see his father being shot and lying the way he was lying."

Paul Maskey, the area's Sinn Féin assembly member, said he did not know who was behind the attack, but that they did not represent the community.

"They should stop and cease attacks of this nature because the vast majority of people from this community don't want these attacks to take place," he said.

Detectives at Antrim Road PSNI Station have appealed to anyone with information about the shooting to contact them.