Romanians flee homes after attack

A Romanian man helps to move belongings

A five-day-old girl is among 115 Romanian people being put up in a church hall overnight after fleeing their homes in south Belfast.

They said they left their homes in the Lisburn Road area after suffering racist attacks for almost a week.

The church offered to help after about 20 families tried to take refuge in a house at Wellesley Avenue.

Church officers said the Romanians may stay as long as they need to and police are patrolling the area.

'Threatened verbally'

The families said they were tired and frightened but that the help of the church had shown them a positive side to the people of Belfast.

Jolena Flett, Racial Harassment Adviser for the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, said they had been threatened verbally and then three properties were attacked on the same day.

"There has been an issue about the families feeling unsafe in the properties they were attacked in. What we are trying to do is provide them with alternative accommodation," she said.

Malcolm Morgan, pastor at the church, said they were happy to help.

"It's a sad indictment of our society, but hopefully we can show them a different side to Northern Ireland and a caring side of Northern Ireland," he said.

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