The PSNI today rejected criticism of their handling of racial attacks in the North.
Chief Inspector Nigel Grimshaw denied claims by the Anti-Racism Network that officers were ineffectual in tackling crime against ethnic minorities
after a petrol bomb attack on a Bangladeshi family in south Belfast.
Chief Insp Grimshaw, PSNI
The family of Mohammad Hossain were sleeping in their Fane Street home when
two petrol bombs were thrown at it early yesterday.
Mr Hossain, his wife and their five-year-old daughter escaped unharmed but
said they had been attacked around 20 times before.
Anti-Racism Network spokeswoman Barbara Muldoon said Mr Hossain had warned the authorities that the attacks were getting worse.
Chief Insp Grimshaw said he understood the frustration of ethnic minority groups
following an attack like the one against Mr Hossain and his family.
"First and foremost this was a horrendous attack on a vulnerable family with
a young child and must be condemned by every right thinking person," he said.
"I want to assure minority ethnic communities that the police are working
hard to achieve a response to these sort of attacks which addresses their
needs.
"There are people in Fane Street who know who the people who carried out this
attack are and we are appealing to that community to help," he said.
He added that, in the case of Mr Hossain, there had been a pattern of
incidents, ranging from children causing annoyance to stone-throwing, which
culminated in yesterday morning's attack.
PA