THE UVF has been blamed after masked men torched two vehicles yesterday in an overnight sectarian attack in a Co Antrim village.
The gang set a car alight outside a house in the Castleview area of Glenarm by smashing one of the vehicle's windows and throwing a device inside.
The fire then spread to a second car. The men made off in the direction of the seafront following the attack, which was reported to police shortly before 12.30am.
Police are treating the incident as a sectarian hate crime.
Sinn Féin's Oliver McMullan, a former MLA for East Antrim, blamed it on the "UVF arson brigade".
He said it's believed the arson followed opposition to loyalist flags being erected in the neighbourhood.
"I'm led to believe from members of the public that this could be over flags," he said.
"This is again quite clearly the work of the UVF trying to control communities through fear. This has got to stop."
He added: "These people have got to be exposed for their bullyboy tactics."
Ulster Unionist councillor Maureen Morrow condemned attack.
"I am appalled by this cowardly arson attack in a quiet residential area, as are all right-thinking people in the village of Glenarm," she said.
"This tactic of targeting people's property – particularly cars sitting on the public street – is reckless and dangerous...it must stop and I fully support the police in their efforts to identify the culprits, make arrests and ultimately put them behind bars."
Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them in Larne by phoning 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
