Northern Ireland

Woman hospitalised after Ballymena petrol bomb attack

The woman in her 40s suffered burns to her left leg after the attack in the Chichester Park East area on Tuesday night

PACEMAKER BELFAST 01/05/2024 A woman in her 40s has sustained burns to her leg in a petrol bomb attack in Ballymena, County Antrim. A brick and one device was thrown through the window of a flat in Chichester Park East at about 22:30 BST on Tuesday. A second petrol bomb was thrown at the front door. The woman was taken to hospital but her injuries are not believed to be life threatening. A man, in his 50s, was also inside the property but was not injured. It was reported to police that two men wearing dark coloured clothing were seen leaving the area at the time of the incident.
Damage caused to a property following a petrol bomb attack in the Chichester East area of Ballymena. PICTURE: PACEMAKER BELFAST
By Allan Preston

A woman in Ballymena was hospitalised on Tuesday night after a petrol bomb attack left her with burns to her left leg.

Police received a report around 10.20pm from fire service colleagues that a brick followed by a petrol bomb had been thrown through the window of a terraced property in the Chichester Park East area, with another petrol bomb thrown at the front door.

The woman, aged in her 40s, was inside at the time but her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

A man aged in his 50s was also inside the house at the time but was not injured.

It was later reported to police that two men wearing dark-coloured clothing were seen leaving the area at the time of the incident.

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Police have appealed for those with any relevant information to to call 101, quoting reference 1848 for April 30.

Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Independent Ballymena councillor Rodney Quigley condemned the attack and said it had risked spreading the fire to other properties.

“I don’t think you can ever justify a petrol bomb attack on anybody’s property,” he told the Irish News.

“I don’t know the full circumstances but we don’t want that in any society as it put other lives at risk as well.”