Paint Attack On Soldiers' Memorial

A memorial dedicated to three Scottish soldiers who were murdered by the IRA has been attacked in what police have called a hate crime.

The monument in North Belfast to teenage brothers John and Joseph McCaig, and their colleague Dougald McCaughey, 23, had paint thrown over it in an incident shortly after 12.30pm.

It was erected to mark the spot at White Brae, Ligoniel, on the outskirts of the city, where the three off-duty fusiliers were shot dead by the IRA in 1971.

It has been vandalised close to 20 times since being built five years ago with the support of the Royal British Legion.

Police in North Belfast said they received a report of criminal damage and officers were treating it as a hate crime.

They appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact Tennent Street station.