Newtownards: 'I could've been burying my son' after West Winds shooting

A man fired shots at a Newtownards house on Thursday

A man has condemned a gun attack on his family home in Newtownards as "barbaric and disgusting".

Gareth Gill said his four children were in the house in Stirling Avenue when a gunman fired two shots at the property at about 00:55 BST on Thursday.

Police said the incident may be related to a long-running feud between loyalist drug gangs.

Mr Gill claims he was forced from his home by the East Belfast UVF four months ago.

He told BBC News NI that his son was sitting close to the window where the shots came through.

"I could've been burying my son this week - that's what I'm worrying about," he said.

"You don't target kids and families; innocent kids. You don't do that - that's a no-go."

Gareth Gill says he fears for his family's safety

Mr Gill described those behind the attack as the "scum of the earth".

His children are aged between 15 and 23. The family has been left badly shaken following the incident, he said.

He added: "My missus was on the phone to me that night crying to me and my daughter. How does that make me feel?"

A front door and window were damaged in the attack.

Loyalist feud

Mr Gill says he believes the East Belfast UVF was behind the attack.

He said: "They run that estate and they're the ones that told me not to come back to my house."

Mr Gill has been staying nearby in the Weavers Grange estate, which has been at the centre of incidents police believe to be related to the loyalist feud.

The incident happened in Stirling Avenue at about 00:55 BST on Thursday

He said the attack on his family home was to "get at me".

On Thursday, PSNI Det Sgt Westbury described the shooting as "a completely irresponsible and reckless attack which could have had extremely serious consequences".

"Paramilitaries are not defenders of their communities. Instead, they are criminals who prey on vulnerable people and exploit any circumstances they can for their own gain," added Sgt Westbury.

Police have appealed to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and who may have any information to contact them.