East Belfast residents have been left upset and frustrated after a gate was installed and welded shut, blocking a popular path.
The gate has been put in place on the path between Orby Green and Orby Link, in the Castlereagh Road area, which had been "used for years" by local residents who felt that it was safer than walking along the main road when going to the shops.
It is understood it has been installed by the management company for the nearby block of flats, The Courtyard, who have said that the path is not a public right of way - something that the local residents dispute.
Titanic Alliance Councillor Michelle Kelly told Belfast Live that she has received numerous complaints from frustrated residents who are hoping that the gate can be removed.
She said: "Since the gate has been installed and welded shut I have received numerous complaints from frustrated and upset residents who have used this path for years.
"It has been an important path for many of the elderly and vulnerable residents who live in the area, giving them safe and easy access to the nearby shops and stops them having to travel a longer distance along the main road.
"I have been told that the management company has put the gate in place in order to stop anti-social behaviour, and while all incidents of this nature should be taken seriously, the gate has also caused a lot of upset and frustration in the community.
"Belfast City Council are currently investigating whether or not this is a defined public right of way and I hope that this issue can be resolved quickly."
A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “Council is currently investigating reports of a blocked public right of way on a route from Orby Green to Orby Link under the Access to the Countryside (Northern Ireland) Order 1983.”
The management company has been contacted for comment.
