House attack 'was racist'

The women are nurses at the nearby Craigavon Hospital

The police believe an attack on a house at Portadown in County Armagh was racist.

The windows of the house at Granville Street have been smashed for the second time in less then a week.

The occupants of the house - two men and two women - are from the Philippines and have been in the area for about a year.

They were not hurt. The police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

The women from both couples are nurses at the nearby Craigavon Hospital.

The incident was reported to police at about 0155 GMT on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, a boulder was thrown through their living room window. Bricks and pot plants were also thrown at the house.

'Recent incidents'

The women now said they have had enough and are considering moving out.

"We are not doing any harm to the Irish people, even here in Killicomaine," said one of the women.

The women are considering moving out

"The people are very pleasant. They recognise that we are nurses in Craigavon.

"That is why we are wondering. We are not here doing harm to any Irish people."

Anti Racism Network spokesperson Davy Carlin said questions "have to be asked about the commitment of the authorities to dealing with the problem".

"Despite the denials from some quarters, Northern Ireland's minority ethnic communities are living in fear and dealing with the consequences of racist attacks, often with little help.

"I would call on leaders in Portadown from across the political spectrum to unite against racism, and to publicly state their opposition to these attacks."

SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly said the minority behind the attacks were "heartless bullies".

"We need to stamp out racism now, and the only way we can do this is for the people of Northern Ireland to stand up for equality and justice of all people living on this island," she said.

'Homophobic attacks'

Earlier this month, it was revealed that racist attacks in Northern Ireland have surged by 60% in the last year while assaults on gays and lesbians have doubled.

Chinese families, Africans and eastern Europeans have been targeted during a racist campaign which has been particularly intense in the loyalist Village area of south Belfast.

Police figures for the first three quarters of the current financial year did not include the most recent incidents against ethnic minorities.

But they showed the number of racist incidents had increased to 267 compared with 167 for the same period last year.

The Policing Board urged the chief constable to crack down on rising levels of racial and homophobic attacks in Northern Ireland.

Such incidents are to be tackled as part of a £774m strategy for running the Police Service of Northern Ireland over the next 12 months.