Can't the Irish have one good century

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The UVF has ordered the removal of Catholic families from a housing estate in Carrickfergus in what has been termed a "form of 21st century ethnic cleansing".

The terror gang was behind attacks on three homes in the Woodburn estate in which they believed Catholics have been staying. Sources say the attacks were based purely on rumours about the occupants or people linked to them.

Windows at properties on Cherry Walk and Glenfield Walk were smashed late last Wednesday night. The home of a pensioner on Pinewood Avenue, who only moved into the bungalow last month, was also targeted. 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."

The attacks are taking place despite the Executive Office spending millions of pounds of public cash in Carrickfergus on trying to convince loyalist gun gangs to abandon criminality through its Tackling Paramilitary Activity programme. A further £10million was committed to the fund last week.

The UVF is heavily involved in the project which pledges to "provide support and legitimate alternatives to all ex-prisoners/former combatants to reintegrate into society".

But the smashing up of homes by the UVF in which it believed Catholics had been staying makes a mockery of its transformation commitment.

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson condemned the UVF violence, calling it "raw, naked sectarianism".

He said: "I know the vast majority of people in Carrickfergus will be horrified at these brutal attacks on innocent families.

"There is no place for this behaviour - it is dangerous and wrong. Clearly, the attempts to wean these sectarian gangs away from their activities by handing out government financial inducements is now a failed policy.

"The only reward for this behaviour must be a stiff jail sentence.

"I welcome the work of the Paramilitary Crime Taskforce in the area and look forward to their continued success in rooting out these thugs.

"Meanwhile, my sympathy goes to those families affected. I know there will be many decent people working on the ground in these areas from churches and other agencies trying to provide assurance and working to help families, and I pledge my support to them."

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.