Latest news

Hood 'flashes' at young girls

A notorious Ballymurphy hood exposed himself to young girls at the Falls Park on Saturday morning. Police were called to the scene after reports that a man was seen ‘flashing’ to young children enjoying a sports day at the facility. Up to 60 girls aged under-10 were in the park at the time enjoying, what had been up to that point, a pleasant day. Three individuals, one a well-known Ballymurphy hoodlum, were observed drinking and sniffing glue nearby by parents...

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Leisure Centre users are left high and dry as showers fail

Falls Leisure Centre users were left high and dry on Tuesday night when the water system at the complex failed. It happened after youths tampered with the water hydrant outside the building during the hot weather, leaving customers inside the building unable to get showers. One gym patron contacted the Andersonstown News to express his irritation with the breakdown. “It was one of the hottest nights of the year,” he said. “It was muggy and sticky and after a workout...

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Loyalist attacks increase marching season tensions

Fears that loyalists are intent on whipping up tensions in the lead up to the marching season were heightened this week after Catholic homes were targeted in sectarian attacks, paramilitary flags were erected near mixed areas and sinister graffiti appeared warning Catholics to stay out of council run parks. Residents of Atlantic Avenue told the North Belfast News this week there is “a sense of fear” in the area after homes and cars were attacked by a loyalist mob at...

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Local group prepares kids for transfer tests

As schools across North Belfast closed their doors for the summer holidays this week, one local youth group say parents are so worried about how their children will fare in the grammar schools entrance exam they have had to lay on a special transfer test programme. Artillery Youth Group in the New Lodge will hold a four-day entrance exam programme in August which will be staffed by teachers who have previously prepared children for the 11-plus. The teachers will coach...

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Islamic centre gets bomb threat

The director of the Belfast Islamic Centre has pledged to keep the South Belfast organisation open, despite a bomb threat made against the group’s headquarters earlier this week.Muhammad al-Qaryooti was speaking after a letter was delivered to the Wellington Park centre on Monday (June 29), the same day threats were issued to South Belfast MLA Anna Lo and the city centre-based Polish Association.The threat against the Islamic Centre, which was signed Ulster Young Militants [the youth wing of the UDA]...

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Locals puzzled by vigilante group’s drug claims

Rosetta residents and community representatives have denied any knowledge of a drug dealing problem after posters were erected in the area naming alleged pushers.The posters were stuck to lamp posts in the Rosetta Road and Mount Merrion areas last week by a group calling itself Parents Against Cocaine and Ecstasy, but were almost immediately taken down again by police.The posters said drugs were being pedalled to children as young as 12 for "pocket money prices" and named two alleged drug...

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