Northern Ireland

Gang of youths attack house in north Belfast in suspected hate crime

CCTV footage showing a gang of youths around the time of an attack on a house in the Lower Oldpark area of north Belfast
CCTV footage showing a gang of youths around the time of an attack on a house in the Lower Oldpark area of north Belfast CCTV footage showing a gang of youths around the time of an attack on a house in the Lower Oldpark area of north Belfast

Youths have smashed the front window of a house in north Belfast in a suspected hate crime.

About 10 young men attacked the house on Avoca Street in the Lower Oldpark area at around 9.45pm on Monday.

Police are treating the attack as a hate crime.

PSNI Inspector Paul Noble said "this type of violent crime is unacceptable in our communities".

"Hate crimes have no place in today’s society and will simply not be tolerated," he said.

Oldpark DUP Councillor Dale Pankhurst blamed "nationalist youths" for the attack and said it was a sectarian hate crime on a home in a predominantly Protestant area.

He said a grandmother was in the living room with her seven-month-old granddaughter when the attack happened.

"It is possible that the attackers also had a racist motive as the occupants are an ethnic minority family who have lived in the Lower Oldpark community for over five years," he said.

Mr Pankhurst said the attackers were last seen running into the Girdwood complex.

He said the gates of the complex should be closed at night to prevent further attacks.