Boy (8) hit with baseball bat during robbery

An eight-year-old child was struck with a baseball bat by robbers during what has been a violence-marred weekend in the North.

The incident happened when a gang of six masked men raided a home in a loyalist estate in Carmeen Drive, Rathcoole in north Belfast.

The gang smashed windows and entered the boy's home in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The young boy was taken to hospital after being struck with a bat by one of the intruders during the break-in but he has since been released and is staying with relatives.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

A man remains in hospital with serious injuries following an assault in Co Derry earlier today.

The victim, aged in his 20s, was attacked by a man of similar age on Queen Street, Magherafelt. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

In Co Down, a man escaped serious injury when he was stabbed several times with a knife.

The victim suffered several injuries during the assault which took place last night in Tollymore Forest Park, Newcastle.

A man aged in his 30s and a woman were arrested in connection with the attack.

In Co Antrim, a petrol bomb was thrown at a house in Larne at bout 1.40am yesterday morning. The device landed in a neighbouring garden and there were no reported injuries.

Separately, a man aged in his mid-50’s was found dead in Belfast late on Friday.

He was discovered in Adelaide Street at about midnight. Police believe the man may have been dropped off around an hour earlier by a taxi driver and are appealing for him to come forward.

Meanwhile, several thousand suspected ecstasy tablets were recovered by police from house in north Belfast.

The tablets were seized from a property at Parkmount Street yesterday afternoon together with cannabis plants and other drugs paraphernalia.