Ards mosque community 'nervous' after attack

The founder of an Islamic centre in Newtownards has said an overnight attack has left his community nervous, but added they will not leave the town.

A petrol bomb was thrown towards the centre on Greenwell Street on Saturday morning, while graffiti was written on the wall.

It is one of a number of racially-motivated hate crimes being investigated by police across Northern Ireland over the past week.

Abdul Rob said four generations of his family have used the centre.

Cars were also set alight in Tavanagh Street and Sandhurst Gardens in Belfast in separate attacks.

It follows a week of sporadic disorder which saw rioters attack police at various sites in Belfast and several members of the public reported they had been assaulted.

Thirty-two people have been arrested.

On Friday night, the rear door of a restaurant on Ormeau Road was also kicked and racial slurs shouted to the workers inside.

Speaking to BBC News NI on Saturday, Abdul Rob said his community is "not going to leave".

"This is our country, we’re going to stay there, why are we going to go," he said.

SDLP MP Claire Hanna said an attack on a place of worship is "beneath and below contempt" and that it would "not be tolerated".

Speaking at the United Against Racism rally in Belfast, she added those responsible for full "the full force of the law".

Sinn Féin assembly member Deirdre Hargey described the attack on the mosque as "disheartening".

"We need to show that if they carry out these actions then we will go after them," she continued.

A statement from the Islamic Centres of Northern Ireland condemned the "mindless Islamophobic and hate attack" on the Newtownards mosque on Saturday.

"We know that those perpetrators represent only a small minority of individuals with a far right agenda which is detrimental to the prosperity of Northern Ireland," it added.

The statement also thanked the community for the "overwhelming support" members have received and praised those who turned out to anti-racism rallies held in Belfast and Londonderry over recent days.

A 22-year-old man arrested following Friday's protests in Belfast has since been charged with offences including disorderly behaviour and criminal damage. He is due to appear in court next month.

Two 14-year-old boys have been charged in Londonderry.

This comes after number of petrol bombs were found by police in the vicinity of Spencer Road in Derry.

A 37-year-old man was arrested in Portrush on suspicion of "intentionally encouraging riot" in relation to online activity.

“We continue to investigate all reports made to us in relation to the recent disorder on our streets and we will be making further arrests," Ass Ch Con Melanie Jones said.

Police said they would continue to have a visible policing operation in place across Northern Ireland this weekend.

In anticipation of the possibility of further disorder this weekend, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) cancelled leave and asked officers to work on rest days.

The PSNI is also receiving support from Police Scotland which is to send 120 officers to Belfast to help quell the threat of violence.