Concern at ‘dangerous pattern of racist hatred’ following damage to houses

Concern has been voiced at a “dangerous pattern of racist hatred” following damage to a number of properties in east Belfast.

Police said a number of windows were broken and graffiti daubed on the outside of properties in the Templemore Avenue and Paxton Street areas in the early hours of Tuesday.

A family inside one of the properties on Paxton Street at the time of the incident were left “badly shaken”, police said.

On Thursday, police said that following further enquiries into the reports of criminal damage to the properties, they are content that there is no hate element to these incidents and they are being treated as criminal damage.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International, said this incident is just the latest in a dangerous pattern.

“This attack has left another family terrorised in their own home and is nothing more than racist violence,” he said.

“Slogans such as ‘No HMOs’ daubed on houses are just a rebranded version of ‘No blacks’ or ‘No migrants’ designed to intimidate people from their homes.

“Responsibility for insufficient social housing lies squarely at the feet of successive Ministers at the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Executive as a whole.

“Their political failure to provide enough homes should not be scapegoated onto our neighbours, colleagues and friends who simply need a place to live.

“This latest attack is not an isolated incident, it is part of a dangerous pattern of racist hatred that must be confronted head-on by political leaders, communities and the police.”

Police have urged that anyone who witnessed the damage to the houses, or has CCTV, doorbell or other footage that could assist with enquiries, contact detectives on 101 quoting reference 39 31/03/26.

Reports can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport or Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.