Man left with 'severe' injures after being shot in the leg

A man aged in his 40s has been shot in the leg in west Belfast, which has left him with "severe" injuries, police have said.

It happened at about 21:30 BST in an alley between the Falls Road and Ross Road on Sunday.

Police said the attack has "caused fear and disruption" in the "very community those responsible for this criminal act claim to protect".

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey condemned the shooting and said there is "no place for this type of violence in our community".

"It is completely unacceptable and is not wanted by local people," Maskey said.

"Those responsible need to stop and think about the fear and distress their actions cause in the community."

Police received a report from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) that a man had been shot in the vicinity of the Falls Road area.

Officers attended the scene and said the man had been shot once in his leg and has been taken to hospital for treatment.

"Although his injuries are thankfully not life-threatening, they are severe and will no doubt leave him with lasting physical and emotional trauma," the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have said.