Bangor: Petrol poured through letterboxes and 'shots' fired

Homes in Fort Avenue and Fort Drive were attacked overnight

Three houses have been doused in petrol and suspected bullet holes have been found in the living room window of a fourth house in Bangor, County Down.

Petrol was poured through the letterboxes of two houses in Fort Avenue and another letterbox in Fort Drive in the early hours of Thursday.

Police are investigating a link between all four attacks.

They appealed for information about a man seen in the area at the time wearing a hood and covering his face.

The first attack was reported shortly after 00:20 GMT, when petrol was poured through the letterbox of a house in Fort Avenue.

"An individual said to have been wearing gloves, and their hood up and face covered, was subsequently seen leaving the area on foot," Det Sgt Bell said.

The next attack was reported shortly before 00:40 GMT, when a house in Fort Drive was doused in fuel.

Then, shortly before 00:55 GMT, "suspected bullet holes" were discovered in the living room window of a home in Fort Terrace, with further damage caused to a wall inside the property.

"Suspected bullet holes" were discovered in the living room window of a home in Fort Terrace

Shortly after 03:30 GMT, police received a report that a house in Fort Avenue had also been doused in petrol.

Police said a man, described as being about 6ft (1.8m), 30 to 40 years old and of muscular build, was reported to have been seen in the area at the time.

He was reportedly wearing dark-coloured clothing, loose fitting bottoms, a tight top and he had his hood up.

Stephen Farry called on anyone with information on the attacks to come forward to the police

North Down MP Stephen Farry said the attacks were "appalling, reckless and sinister developments".

"Very easily this could have led to a fire and therefore a threat to life," Mr Farry told BBC's Evening Extra programme.

"Whoever is behind this has been extremely irresponsible."

The Alliance party deputy leader said there was "understandable concern" in the community around the attacks.

North Down MP Stephen Farry says a lot of young families would have moved into the area

Mr Farry said there had been "troubling levels" of paramilitary activity in the north Down area in recent years, and said a paramilitary element in these attacks "can't be ruled out" and would be a line of inquiry.

'Absolute madness'

Local independent assembly member (MLA) Alex Easton described the attacks as "absolute madness".

He said four families had been put at risk and several people could have lost their lives if the houses had caught fire.

He urged anyone with information about the attacks to contact the police.

Déirdre Vaughan, from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said the attacks were "deeply concerning".

"This is a terrible thing for any family to wake up to, and discovering your home was targeted in this way would leave anyone shaken and unnerved," she said.

"People in our communities just want to live in peace and I would ask those behind these incidents to stop immediately."