The police in Coleraine, Co Derry, are treating a gun attack on a Catholic family early yesterday as "a sectarian murder bid".
The family of six escaped injury when five shots were fired at their Quickthorn Place home in the mainly loyalist Harper's Hill estate. Four bullets went through the living-room window minutes after the owners and their four children, aged from 11 to 18, had gone to bed.
Det Sgt Brian Logan described the incident as a blatant sectarian attack. "In May of last year this family were attacked by pipe bombers. This family has lived in this area for over 20 years and are well known and respected for the cross-community work they do. The people who carried out this attack stand in total contrast to the excellent work of this family.
"This is the second close escape this family has had. Not only did they try to shoot the family members early this morning, but those responsible attempted to petrol-bomb the family's car," he said.
SDLP Assemblyman Mr John Dallat, who visited the family, said they were in a state of shock."The children are totally bewildered by what has happened to them and their mother is in a desperate state of shock."