Sharp rise in intimidation

Protestant families said they were forced out of the Torrens estate

More than 1,200 people were intimidated out of their homes in Northern Ireland last year, according to a report.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive said £45m - a rise of 50% - was spent buying properties from people forced out of their homes.

It said sectarian tensions in Belfast, paramilitary feuding, and the need to move prison officers - whose details were found on alleged IRA intelligence files - contributed to the bill.

In its annual report, published on Thursday, the executive indicated that more was spent buying back these homes than the £37m used to adapt homes for the disabled.

Housing Executive Chief Executive Paddy McIntyre said: "It is not right that scarce resources continue to be required to deal with intimidation, when they could undoubtedly be better used elsewhere."

Homeless households

The Special Purchase of Evacuated Dwelling (SPED) process means anyone under paramilitary threat can be paid the market value for their home without having to put it up for sale.

Once the chief constable declares they are at risk, the executive the pays out to allow a relocation.

We helped 1,245 households who were homeless as a direct result of intimidation and a further £45m was needed to support the SPED scheme Paddy McIntyre Housing Executive

As well as Belfast, parts of Larne, Antrim and north Down have witnessed feuding involving both loyalist and republican paramilitaries.

Mr McIntyre said: "In the past year, the Housing Executive had yet again dealt with the fall-out from intimidation in the community.

"We helped 1,245 households who were homeless as a direct result of intimidation and a further £45m was needed to support the SPED scheme."

Last month, 10 families moved out of their north Belfast homes after claiming to have been intimidated by republicans.

The Protestant families left their homes in the Torrens estate, near the Oldpark Road and Cliftonville Road, after claiming to have been subjected to a campaign of intimidation.

They applied to the Housing Executive to be re-housed.

Meanwhile, several dozen people from mainly loyalist areas are protesting at Stormont claiming they are victims of republican intimidation in interface areas of Belfast.

Among the group meeting unionist politicians on Thursday are former residents of the Torrens estate.

The protestors said they wanted to highlight their cases and were concerned the intimidation was happening elsewhere.

Commenting on the Housing Executive's report, Alliance deputy leader Eileen Bell said the cost of hatred in Northern Ireland was high.

"A major concern is this fixed idea that it is the victim of intimidation that is expected to leave their home.

"The sad fact of living in a society numbed by paramilitarism and prejudice is that those responsible for causing fear and forcing people from their homes are rarely caught," she said.