Community living in fear of violent crime

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 16th May 2003

Alliance Councillor Sean Neeson has said people are living in fear following a number of violent crimes in and around the south-east Antrim area.

Condemning the recent attacks, Mr Neeson said: "In the past few days, there has been a murder, the kidnapping of a boy in which a man was tortured, a robbery in which a Chinese man was beaten with hammers, and a sectarian attack in which a young man's leg was broken.

"The frequency and ferocity of these attacks within quite a small area is extremely disturbing, and the victims and their families must wonder if society has not descended into anarchy.

"People are living in fear and are practically waiting for the next violent incident to happen. For everyone to feel safe in their homes, the police must have not just the support of the Government, but the community itself must do what it can to assist the police.

"Whether this state of lawlessness is a legacy of the Troubles or not, it is a fact that in south-east Antrim, violent crime is almost a daily occurrence that plagues innocent people."