Police in Belfast have begun a major investigation after a break-in at Castlereagh police station last night.
A police spokesman said it happened at a Special Branch office manned by one officer in the east of the city. He was assaulted and incapacitated. The attackers had left by the time he managed to free himself.
The area has been sealed off and a forensic examination is underway. The whole complex is being searched. Police have not yet been established if documentation or other material has been taken.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast claimed that a number of files had been stolen. Councillor Jim Rodgers also believed that it was not the work of a Loyalist or Republican paramilitary organisation.
Councillor Rodgers said that the whole thing "stinks to high heaven". He believed the "most embarrassing" attack had been carried out by someone who knew the layout of the building.
He suggested that it may have been an attempt to discredit the outgoing Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan. He said he was very unhappy at what had happened and called for security in general to be stepped up.
