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Man slashed with machete in west Belfast burglary. | |
(40 minutes later) | |
A man in his 20s was slashed with a machete in a burglary in west Belfast. | |
Three men wielding knives and a baseball bat broke into the man's apartment at Ladybrook Cross at 20:00 GMT on Friday. | |
The homeowner and a friend who was visiting were both tied up. The man was slashed in the leg. The burglars stole cash, car keys and the house keys. | |
In a separate burglary in Lisburn, a gang of five men, one wielding a crowbar, threatened two pensioners. | In a separate burglary in Lisburn, a gang of five men, one wielding a crowbar, threatened two pensioners. |
The gang got into the house in the Woodburn area at about 21:45 GMT on Friday. | |
The couple - a 70-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman - were told to sit down and cooperate while the house was searched. | The couple - a 70-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman - were told to sit down and cooperate while the house was searched. |
A kitchen knife which the woman was holding was taken. | A kitchen knife which the woman was holding was taken. |
The gang made their escape in a dark-coloured car. No-one was injured. | The gang made their escape in a dark-coloured car. No-one was injured. |
Sinn Fein councillor for the Upper Falls area, Matthew Garrett, described the attack in Ladybrook Cross as "sinister". | |
"My immediate reaction is one of shock. It is a quiet area with a lot of families who just work and get on with their daily lives," he said. | |
"It is sinister that they (the thieves) are prepared to use violence simply to get cars. | |
"In the Upper Falls there has been an increase in burglaries, but these are generally creeper burglaries. This is more sinister." | |
Mr Garrett said he would be requesting an urgent meeting with the district commander of the police to try and tackle the issue. |