A 14-year teenager has been seriously assaulted in Killyleagh following an attack.
The incident happened on Saturday 19 January around 9pm up the hill from the Maxol garage on the Downpatrick Road in the centre of the town.
Police are appealing for witnesses following the assault of the girl who is understood to have an arm and facial injuries.
A police spokesman said: “Police are asking anyone who was in the area at the time, pedestrians or motorists passing by, who may have witnessed the incident, to contact Police on 101 and use the reference number 1006 of 20/01/19.”
Rowallene Councillor Billy Walker has expressed his disgust at the attack and said: “As a public representative I totally condemn this assault. Whatever the reason for the attack the perpetrator(s) had no justification in committing this crime on a teenager.
“I talked to the police this morning about the assault and I have called for more police to be active on the ground and for more patrols for the area.
“There seems to be a hotspot for young people drinking alcohol and taking drugs in the town at the moment. The site of the former old people’s home is lying empty and is being used by these teenagers.
“I would appeal to anyone with information or who witnessed the incident to contact the police on 101 or phone the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Possibly someone may have caught this incident on their dash cam. If so, please contact the police before someone else is even more seriously hurt. This violence has to stop.”
There has been in recent years a number of arson incidents in Killyleagh caused by teenagers including a local bar, public toilets, an empty manse building, and the former British Legion building, all being damaged by fire costing several hundreds of thousands of pounds. Councillor Billy Walker has vociferously condemned these attacks on the community and has asked parents of teenagers to ensure they know where their children are in the evenings.
