UVF orders removal of Catholic families from Carrickfergus housing estate in '21st century form of ethnic cleansing'

Windows at properties on Cherry Walk and Glenfield Walk were smashed late last Wednesday night. Some of the occupants are understood to have since fled the area. The PSNI's Sergeant Cowan said: "Just after 9pm we received a report that the living room window of a property in the Glenfield Walk area had been smashed at 8.20pm. At 9.40pm we received two further reports that windows had been smashed at houses in the Cherry Walk and Pinewood Avenue areas. In both cases a man wearing a balaclava was seen running from both addresses."

Security sources told Sunday Life that the UVF was behind the attacks having ordered the removal of all Catholics from loyalist estates in Carrickfergus. Sources say they were ordered purely on the basis of rumours about the occupants or people linked to them. "It's a form of 21st century ethnic cleansing," said the insider. "The UVF has drawn up a list of people living in Woodburn who they suspect are Catholics, or are living with Catholics."

Loyalists rioted on the North Road in Carrickfergus for two nights last week, throwing dozens of petrol bombs at police lines. The violence was in response to what they claimed is frustration over the Irish Sea customs border and a lack of prosecutions connected to the funeral of IRA leader Bobby Storey.

The attacks on the PSNI were encouraged by both the South East Antrim UDA and UVF who warned teens involved not to riot in loyalist estates, and to instead take the trouble onto the North Road which is on the edge of the Castlemara and Sunnylands areas.