Two men were attacked yesterday afternoon in Netherfield and one of them had to be taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries.
Officers are now appealing for any information or witnesses that saw the incident on Victoria Road at around 2.20pm.
The victim suffered injuries to his head, ribs and hip. He was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment.
The man had been walking to the shops with a friend nearby to his home when a group of men shouted abuse at him and assaulted him.
Uniformed officers have been in the area since the time that the incident was reported to police to offer reassurance to the local community.
Detective Sergeant Luke Todd is leading the investigation. He said: “This was a horrible attack which saw the victim hospitalised. We are now working in the local area, talking to residents and gathering as much evidence to establish what exactly happened.
“Thankfully the injuries to the man aren’t life-threatening.
“We will be in the local area, talking to the community and reassuring them by doing extra patrols.
“Our officers have been actively investigating this incident since the time it was first reported to us and our investigative teams have now begun their work to trace those responsible for the assault.
“If you have any information or saw the incident please call 101 quoting incident 549 of 18 May 2020.”
