Loyalists turn spy camera on nationalist neighbours

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday August 01, 2002 08:39 by McMean

The loyalist pogrom against nationalists from the Short Strand enclave in east Belfast has taken a sinister turn after loyalists in Cluan Place erected a video camera, with a floodlight attached, on a house overlooking the Short Strand.

Residents of the area are accusing the loyalists of using the
camera to spy on them and have also accused the RUC/PSNI of
standing by while the camera was being put in place.

Loyalist gangs have continued their bombardment of the area
through Tuesday night.

"Everything from bricks to bottles and fireworks were thrown
across the wall at Clandeboye Drive at regular intervals during
the night and into the early hours of Wednesday morning," said
local Sinn Fein councillor Joe O'Donnell.

Two residents from the area needed hospital treatment recently
after being struck with bricks.

A six-year-old girl who had just returned from holiday was hit on
the head by a brick thrown from the loyalist Cluan Place on
Wednesday 24 July, resulting in the child receiving eight
stitches, while a man received a serious head injury after being
hit on Monday night