A bus has been hijacked and set alight this evening (Sunday 7 November) in the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey.
A person who was travelling on the bus was badly shook up by the experience when masked men boarded the vehicle.
The eyewitness said:
“So, tonight on my way from seeing my dad, my bus was hijacked going through Rathcoole.
“Three or four masked men jumped on the bus, put the windows through and forced everyone off the bus. They kept the bus driver on the bus and made him drive to the front of the Valley Leisure Centre and proceeded to light the bus on fire.
“I genuinely hope that the bus driver that was on the bus is okay and that he had managed to get off the bus on time.
“My nerves are completely gone, and heart is racing. It's such a disgrace, the fact these people think it's okay to have others live in fear.”
It is the second such incident in a week. Last Monday (1 November) a similar incident occurred in Newtownards when a bus was hijacked and set ablaze early in the morning.
A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said:
“Police received a report of a hijacking incident in the Church Road area of Newtownabbey at around 7.45pm on Sunday evening.
“It was reported that four men got onto the bus and ordered passengers off before the bus was then set alight. Church Road is currently closed and diversions are in place and police would ask members of the public to avoid the area.”
Secretary of State Brandon Lewis has reacted to the incident:
“This is beyond contempt. There is never any justification for such criminality, and there never will be. This only causes disruption and distress to people’s lives. My thoughts are with the driver and passengers. I would appeal for any witnesses to contact PSNI.”