Residents living 'in fear' after paint bomb attack
Last updated 10th Aug 2018
Three homes in north Belfast have been attacked overnight in what police describe as a sectarian hate crime.
It happened in the Manor Street area between 12.05am and 12.30am, with young people believed to have been involved.
It's reported just after midnight, two youths hurled an object at the window of a house, before throwing paint over it and running off towards the Oldpark Road.
The window was shattered in the attack.
15 minutes later a second report was made that two boys threw a paint bomb at the front window of a house.
And just minutes later another window at a house in the same area was smashed.
Residents have been left badly shaken by the incident.
Janice Beggs, from the Lower Oldpark Community Association, says the whole community is in shock by the incident.
She said: "One resident opened their window during the attack which scared them off. Two houses have been badly damaged with paint bombs and the windows have been smashed. This could have been a lot more sinister if they weren't scared off."
"We still don't know why this has happened. This part of the neighborhood is really quiet and this residents has just recently moved in. There's been more police presence in the area in the last few days, but it's just very unsettling for the residents who have young children in the house".
Janice said one woman, who lives in one of the houses that were attacked, is currently in hospital with her sister, and this ordeal has mad a difficult situation much worse.
"It's just very frightening for people in the dead of night for thugs to come in and rampage peoples houses", she added.
"We hope that this is the end of this, we don't want this to happen again anywhere".
Police are treating all three as sectarian hate crimes.
Inspector Robert McMurran said:
"While no-one was hurt in any of the incidents, the residents were left shocked by what happened. We are treating all three as sectarian hate crimes.
“I would appeal to anyone who saw these two males in the area or any suspicious activity at the time the incidents took place, to get in touch with us on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 12 of 9/8/18.”
Alternatively, information can also be provide to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.