Northern Ireland

Children as young as 10 involved in north Belfast trouble

A burnt out car on Rosapenna Street in north Belfast
A burnt out car on Rosapenna Street in north Belfast A burnt out car on Rosapenna Street in north Belfast

CHILDREN as young as ten are believed to be involved in anti-social behaviour in north Belfast.

During the latest incident a car was burned out at Rosapenna Street area of Oldpark at around 10.20pm on Monday.

Local SDLP councillor Paul McCusker last night said up to 30 children aged between ten and 15 were involved in the trouble.

“Young people had set up a barricade on the road and then smashed up that car and set it on fire,” he said.

He added that it was a “small percentage” of young people in the area causing the trouble.

“Bins were stolen from local people and they were verbally abused,” he said.

The councillor said that community representatives and youth workers were expected to patrol the area last night and added that there are “concerns about the sectarian nature” of the trouble “on both sides”.

He revealed that there have also been “arranged fights” in the district.

“It’s got to the stage where it’s serious when they are setting cars on fire,” he said.

The SDLP man said that “parents need to help stop this”.

“We have 12 and 13 years olds causing damage and misery for people who live there,” he added.

A spokesman for the PSNI said the fire service put the blaze out and “enquiries are continuing and at this stage"

He added that “the fire is being treated as deliberate”.