A police patrol was attacked by up to 40 youths after helping to treat a woman who had collapsed in her home, it emerged today.
The armed Land Rover was taken out of service following the incident in the Glenalina area of west Belfast around 8.30pm yesterday.
Police said the gang, who were aged between 10 and 15, hurled stones, bricks and other missiles at the vehicle.
The officers were returning to the New Barnsley station after they had helped to resuscitate a 50-year-old woman who had collapsed unconscious in her kitchen.
A police spokesman said no one was injured in the incident but the missiles narrowly missed an ambulance which was also leaving the woman's home.
SDLP West Belfast Councillor Tim Attwood condemned the youths responsible for the incident.
Cllr Attwood said: “It is totally unacceptable and wrong to attack our emergency services, and that includes the police.
“Both the ambulance and PSNI were out on call dealing with a serious situation whereby a woman was resuscitated, they should not have come under attack and their work should not have been put at such risk.
“The whole community must stand against such attacks and send a clear message to the young people involved that our emergency services should never be targeted.”
PA