Northern Ireland: bus hijacked and set alight on outskirts of Belfast

A bus has been set on fire after it was hijacked by four masked men on the outskirts of Belfast.

The men boarded the double-decker bus in Church Road near Rathcoole in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, at about 7.45pm on Sunday, ordered passengers to get off and set it alight.

The latest act of violence comes less than a week after another bus was burnt out by masked men in a loyalist area of Newtownards, County Down, sparking fresh fears of Brexit-related violence in the region.

Sunday’s attack took place close to a loyalist estate, near Rathcoole, with footage of the fire shared online by Stormont infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon.

“It’s disgraceful and disgusting that our public transport workers have been targeted for attack again, this time by masked men who ordered the drivers and passengers off a bus and then set fire to it,” she said in a statement.

Related: Fears of Brexit violence as armed men hijack and torch bus in Northern Ireland

“This is the fourth attack this year. The criminals behind these cowardly and reckless attacks have done nothing more than harm their local community, depriving them of a critical public service.”

A police spokesperson said Church Road had been closed and asked members of the public to avoid the area, adding: “It was reported that four men got on to the bus and ordered passengers off before the bus was then set alight.”

Violence also broke out twice last week in west Belfast between youths from the nationalist Springfield Road and loyalist Shankill Road.

Following a protest against the Northern Ireland protocol, police were attacked with missiles and fireworks on Wednesday and Friday night.