Spanish police criticised

The parents of the Northern Ireland teenagers injured in the shoot-out between rival drugs gangs on Ibiza on Monday were highly…

The parents of the Northern Ireland teenagers injured in the shoot-out between rival drugs gangs on Ibiza on Monday were highly critical of the young men's treatment by Spanish police.

Gareth Richardson (18) from Bangor, Co Down and Niall Hamilton (18) from Holywood, Co Down both suffered gunshot wounds in the incident.

Mr Richardson was wounded in the chest but was relatively fortunate as the bullet both entered and exited his body without causing serious physical injury. He flew home yesterday with his father Tom.

Mr Hamilton remains in hospital in Ibiza with a gunshot wound to his jaw. The teenagers' friend Philip Young, who flew home with his father Ian yesterday, escaped injury.

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Tom Richardson said the families were appalled at their sons' treatment by Spanish police. They treated the boys "as if they were the drugs dealers, when in fact they were basically passers-by," he told UTV.

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty is the former Northern editor of The Irish Times