Teenage boy injured in suspected sectarian attack

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The incident happened in Belfast's Ormeau Park on Wednesday evening

A teenage boy has been assaulted in what police are treating as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.

It happened in Ormeau Park in Belfast at about 20:30 BST on Wednesday.

The boy was cycling in the area when he was approached by a number of other boys on bikes, it was reported.

"One of the males was reported to have directed sectarian abuse towards him, before punching him in the face, resulting in an eye injury," the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Insp Carey said.

"The assailant was said to have been wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up, and dark coloured trousers and trainers."

An investigation is under way and police have appealed for information.