A 14-year-old boy has had his tooth knocked out and jaw broken in an attack in east Belfast in which the aggressor is believed to have been wearing a ring or knuckle duster.
The teenager was cycling home from the city centre with a friend at around 7.20pm yesterday and had stopped at Middlepath Street.
They were approached by an older teenager who punched his victim in the mouth.
The two younger boys then had stones thrown at them as they passed Pitt Park, police said.
Police said a sectarian motive is one line of enquiry.
PSNI Sergeant Andrea Campbell said the attacker is described as being around 16 or 17 years old and wearing a black tracksuit.
“...The victim’s front tooth was knocked out and he suffered a broken bone in his upper jaw. It will not be possible to permanently replace his lost tooth until he is 20 years old. He also has a punctured lip and a bloody nose.
“As the injured boy and his friend left the area, they were also attacked with stones in the Pitt Park area.
“The teenager was treated in hospital and his doctor has advised that the teen’s injuries are consistent with a ring or knuckle-duster having been used by the assailant. The other boy was uninjured."