West Belfast Pensioners' Home Attacked

An elderly couple whose home was attacked by young nationalists in west Belfast last night have said they could have been killed.

The brother and sister who live on Workman Avenue, just off the Springfield Road, were targeted for the third time in eight days by youths pelting rocks and other missiles.

Siblings Mary Hanna, 70, and George, 80, are catholics living on the protestant side of a peace line, (pictured).

As well as windows be smashed, the pensioners' car was also damaged.

Their home was showered in glass after rocks and bottles were thrown at a landing window.

Miss Hanna told the BBC she lives in fear of turning on lights at the back of the house.

"I'm angry, I was frightened. We didn't know what else was coming. We could have been killed out there tonight. I'm not exaggerating. The amount of stuff that came down," she said.

Miss Hanna and her brother moved to the area over 40 years ago, but now believes it would be difficult to continue living there.

"We have been here for such a long time, you know, we lived right on the front of the road until 1968 then came over here," she said the BBC.

"This was our playground, we knew everybody - it wasn't as if we were strangers coming into the area.

"It is absolutely ridiculous that you can't live at peace in your own home.

"It is so wrong. The parents must know what they're at. I don't care who says they don't. They must."

Local MLA Nelson McCausland condemned what he called sectarian attacks.

The DUP MLA said nationalist youths had been crossing from the Springfield Road to damage houses in the area.

"Such attacks are deeply upsetting for anyone but especially for senior citizens and I am glad that community workers have called with the pensioners to provide some support and reassurance," he said.

"Everyone should be able to live in their homes without the threat of sectarian attack."

Former Sinn Fein mayor Tom Hartly branded the actions of the youths "unacceptable".

He said: "This is not the fist time young people have breached the fencing on the site and engaged in anti social and sectarian behaviour.

"Ourselves and local community organisations have been calling for sometime for Invest NI to properly secure this site. Unfortunately that has not happened.

"I would appeal to people and particularly young people not to get involved in this sort of behaviour. It is unacceptable and must stop."

(PR/BMcC)