A man is in hospital after being shot in the leg in County Down on Wednesday evening.

The man, who is in his 40s, reported to emergency services that he had been "collected" from the Glen estate in Newtownards in a vehicle by a number of people at about 20:00 BST.

He said he was "driven to a green area" between Ballyreagh Way and Fairfield Court, where an unknown man shot him in the calf.

Det Sgt Gray, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), said: "Everyone has the right to live their life free from the threat of violence and this brutal attack will leave the victim with lasting physical and psychological trauma.

"There is no justification for this criminal brutality," Gray added.

The police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.