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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Connor Lynch

Arrest after man 'smashes apartment door' during incident in East Belfast

Shocked residents have watched a man smash the front doors of an apartment block in East Belfast that they say is plagued by trouble.

On Friday, July 8, at around 8pm, a man holding what appeared to be a metal pole, smashed the front door windows of a block of flats on London Road, while neighbours on the street looked on.

The man also attacked the cameras at the front of the property before finally breaking the glass and entering it.

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Witnesses at the scene said that a short time later another man with a knife left the building and was later arrested by police.

A local resident told Belfast Live that the flats have had issues for a number of years and said there were problems with anti-social behaviour and drug dealing.

They said: "There have been problems at these flats for some time now with drug dealing taking place and drunken anti-social behaviour.

"I really feel sorry for the elderly residents who live on the bottom of the building because their lives must be made hell by it all.

"Because of the problems on the floors above them, they have had their windows smashed a few times because people are trying to do something to the flats above them and they bear the brunt of it.

"On Friday there was even more madness when someone started smashing the glass on the front door to the apartments and the cameras trying to get in while everyone watched him in the street.

"Shortly after that someone else came out with a knife and there were quite a few police officers who arrived and started going into the flats. This type of thing is happening all of the time though."

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police in East Belfast arrested a 53-year-old man on suspicion of criminal damage and possessing an offensive weapon following a report of anti-social behaviour on the London Road on Friday July 8th, night.

"A 25-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including possession of an offensive weapon and common assault.

"Both were released on bail pending further enquiries."

Police also received reports of windows of the property being smashed the following day.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police received a report of criminal damage following a number of windows which were smashed at an apartment on London Road, east Belfast this afternoon, Saturday July 9th.

"Enquiries into this incident are at an early stage and would appeal to anyone with any information, or dash-cam footage which can assist, to contact 101 quoting reference number 1043 09/07/22."

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