Belfast police hunt for group of extremists after seven attacks in 10 days on Polish residents

A group of extremists is being hunted by police after a series of attacks on Polish people living in Belfast.

Seven attacks in 10 days, three of them on one night, have been reported by Polish residents in the city and are believed by police to have been part of a deliberate campaign.

“These attacks, although they are deliberate and they are targeted, we believe are the work of a small group of people,” said Chief Inspector Mark McEwan. He said the attacks did not reflect the way minority groups have integrated in the area.

The latest attacks took place this week when bricks were thrown through windows at three properties in the city where Polish families live.

MP Naomi Long, of the Alliance party, said: “Such acts of intimidation do not define this part of the city. They are perpetrated by a minority with little or no public support.”