POLICE in Belfast have arrested a man after a woman was assaulted during an attempted vehicle hijacking in the south of the city on Friday night.
The incident happened amid a spate of vehicle fires in the area throughout Friday night and the early hours of Saturday morning.
The suspect remains in police custody on suspicion of a number of offences, including two counts of arson and four counts of interference with vehicles.
'Kicked and punched'
The PSNI first responded to a report of a car on fire in the Fitzwilliam Street area of south Belfast at around 11.40pm on Friday.
Despite being extinguished by members of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the vehicle was completely destroyed.
"We then received a report a couple of minutes later that a man approached a car in the Lisburn Road area, opened the door and ordered the female driver to get out, before kicking and punching her and making off on foot," said Detective Sergeant Dougherty of the PNSI.
Further fires
A further report was received shortly before 11.50pm that a man was trying car door handles in the Upper Crescent area.
Around 15 minutes later, officers attended a report of two further vehicle fires in the Cameroon Street area, where someone had also attempted to gain access to two other vehicles.
"The man was then located in the Botanic Avenue area a short time later and arrested on suspicion of a number of offences, including two counts of arson and four counts of interference with vehicles," added DS Dougherty.
"He remains in police custody at this time."
Police have appealed for anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area at the time, or who may have any information, to contact them on 101, quoting reference number 2114 09/12/22.
