Racism is thought to have been the motivation behind an arson attack on a Lithuanian-owned nail salon in loyalist east Belfast.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it had received reports shortly before midnight on Monday about a number of men attempting to set fire to the premises in the Castlereagh Street area. Det Insp Jenna Fitzpatrick said the men may have fled the scene in a black 4x4 vehicle.
“The premises were extensively damaged by the fire and smoke,” she said. “There was no one in the premises at the time of the incident.”
The local Ulster Unionist councillor Sonia Copeland condemned those behind what is thought to be the latest hate crime against immigrants in the city.
“My thoughts are with the owner of the premises and her staff today. She is well known for the hours she pours into her business and to think she had been targeted because of her nationality is sickening.
“At a time when we are trying to attract investment into east Belfast, idiotic acts like this set this work back. These people need to ask themselves what they contribute to their community,” Copeland said.
Last weekend a number of homes belonging to Polish families were attacked in the north of the city. All of the recent incidents have taken place in loyalist working-class districts where the majority of racist attacks have taken place over the last 15 years.
- This story was amended on 14 April 2015 in light of updated information to say the business was owned by a Lithuanian woman, not Polish as initally reported.
