Family escapes injury in racist arson attack on home

An arson attack on a house in Belfast with two young children inside was racially-motivated, police have said.

Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following a report that at 3.30pm on Thursday, the front door of the property in the Thalia Street area was set alight.

A PSNI spokesperson said police officers attended the scene and colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service extinguished the fire.

The spokesperson added: "A man and woman and their two young children who were inside the house at the time were thankfully able to escape uninjured.

"This, however, was a deliberate attack on a young family which could have had potentially serious consequences.

"As such, we are treating this report as arson with a racially-motivated hate element, and everyone, regardless of their background, has the right to feel safe in their home.

"Extensive damage was also caused to the door, its surrounding frame and the hallway area of the property."

The spokesperson said: "Our inquiries are continuing today and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and noticed anything suspicious.

"We also want to hear from anyone who may have CCTV, dash-cam or other footage of the area to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1015 10/10/24."