29 July 2010 Last updated at 05:24 ET

West Belfast youth shot in legs

A teenager has been shot in the legs after he was abducted by four masked men in the Falls Road area of west Belfast.

The gang forced the 18-year-old into a car on La Salle Drive at around 2200 BST on Wednesday.

He was driven about two miles to Corrib Avenue, in the Lenadoon area, where he was taken out of the car and shot twice, once in each leg.

He was taken to hospital for treatment for non life-threatening injuries.

The police are appealing for witnesses. They say the car involved was an old-style silver Peugeot 406 estate.

Dissident republican paramilitaries have been responsible for a series of similar attacks.

SDLP West Belfast councillor Tim Attwood condemned the shooting .

He said: "This is a totally despicable act. It was wrong when the IRA was carrying these attacks out and nothing has changed now.

"The west Belfast community endorses the rule of law and those who take the law into their own hands and act as judge, jury and executioner have no support from the rest of the community."