2 April 1998 Edition
Family forced to flee
Following a petrol bomb attack in the early hours of last Sunday morning a Catholic family from Greymount in North Belfast have been forced to flee their home.
The attack comes after two previous arson attacks on the home of Brian Thompson, who lives with his wife and three teenage daughters. In what is becoming a standard Loyalist tactic, a slab of concrete was thrown through the window and flammable liquid poured into the living room then ignited.
Mr Thompson said that his family were threatened by Loyalists three years ago and that his brother-in-law has already been forced to leave the area. At the end of last year there were a number of serious sectarian attacks and threats issued to nationalists in Greymount and the adjacent nationalist area of the Whitewell Road.
Another similar attack in Greymount and an arson attack on the Star of the Sea youth club also took place last weekend. North Belfast Sinn Fein Councillor Danny Lavery said, ``these petrol bombers need not herald the marching season in the traditional way. This year let them desist from their sectarian violence and concentrate on the peace process. They might do worse than throw their weight behind their own leaders. The leaders of loyalism for their part need to make an unequivocal statement about their attitude to petrol bombing innocent people in their beds.''
The attack comes after two previous arson attacks on the home of Brian Thompson, who lives with his wife and three teenage daughters. In what is becoming a standard Loyalist tactic, a slab of concrete was thrown through the window and flammable liquid poured into the living room then ignited.
Mr Thompson said that his family were threatened by Loyalists three years ago and that his brother-in-law has already been forced to leave the area. At the end of last year there were a number of serious sectarian attacks and threats issued to nationalists in Greymount and the adjacent nationalist area of the Whitewell Road.
Another similar attack in Greymount and an arson attack on the Star of the Sea youth club also took place last weekend. North Belfast Sinn Fein Councillor Danny Lavery said, ``these petrol bombers need not herald the marching season in the traditional way. This year let them desist from their sectarian violence and concentrate on the peace process. They might do worse than throw their weight behind their own leaders. The leaders of loyalism for their part need to make an unequivocal statement about their attitude to petrol bombing innocent people in their beds.''
