A SUSPECT WITH a hammer has been arrested and is being questioned by Gardaí in the aftermath of wide-ranging criminal damage overnight in Westport, Co. Mayo.

Twenty one windows in the local Order of Malta headquarters at St. John’s Place were broken. Damage was also caused to a local library and a HSE residential unit where vulnerable adults were staying.

The windows in six cars parked locally and a minibus were also smashed in the attack which occurred in the normally peaceful St. Mary’s Crescent area.

The local community is horrified and shocked following the incidents which occurred around 3 a.m.

Eamon Berry, head of the local Order of Malta, this afternoon described the scene as “like the aftermath of a riot”.

He told Midwest Radio News: “To think something like that could happen in a very quiet residential area and at the same time a town centre location, it’s really difficult to comprehend what thought process was going through the perpetrator or perpetrators’ mind that they think they can justify this type of behavior”.

Mr Berry claimed the incident would instill fear in the area, where the ‘vast majority’ of residents are pensioners.

He continued: “It’s not the first time we’ve had windows broken, we’ll get over it. My very big concern is the vulnerable adults and our senior citizens. What happened last night is going to cause an awful lot of psychological damage”.

The suspect arrested early today is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a garda station in the western region.

He is in his thirties, according to the Garda Press Office.