POLICE IN THE North have issued an appeal for information over the “barbaric” murder of a 45-year-old father-of-two on Sunday night.

Ian Ogle was stabbed at Cluan Place in east Belfast, and the PSNI has already made a number of arrests in connection with the fatal assault.

In a statement to the Irish News, the unionist Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) condemned the attack and said those who carried it out “did not do it in the name of loyalism or the UVF”. 

Detective chief inspector Peter McKenna said the investigation had progressed significantly in the past 48 hours.

“The level of violence meted out on Ian by the people involved in his murder is barbaric and it is quite frankly repulsive that they felt it was acceptable,” he said.

“There is no place for this inhumane behaviour in our communities and I would appeal for local people to come forward with any information they have so we can remove this intimidation and violence from our streets.”

McKenna said that a number of people involved in the killing of Ogle ran from Cluan Place to Templemore Avenue, where they got into a black Seat Leon, registration JGZ 7406.

It travelled to Pitt Place and police are keen on speaking to anyone who saw that car before or after the murder, between 9.15pm and 10pm on Sunday night. 

“I am still particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a group of people running in this area,” McKenna said. 

Almost two days have passed and yet those who attacked Ian and in turn attacked the local community have failed to come forward to police.

One person remains in custody in relation to the crime this evening.