91Èȱ¬

A woman was hit in the face with a stone during a racially-motivated incident in east Belfast, police have said.

The victim was walking home from work on Sunday evening when up to six young people started throwing objects toward her on London Road, in the east of the city.

She was struck on the face with a stone, police said.

This incident followed reports of anti-social behaviour towards local residents in the same area on Saturday.

Both incidents are being treated as racially-motivated, police said.

In an earlier statement, a police spokesman confirmed that officers received a report of water balloons being thrown at a householder in the London Road area on Saturday.

The has reported the woman's family have left their home in the area after being racially abused for two nights in a row.

PSNI Supt Finola Dornan said that "incidents like these are unacceptable".

"They not only deeply affect victims but have a really damaging impact on the whole community," Supt Dornan said.

Police are working to identify all those involved.

So far, officers have identified one child who was involved. Specialist youth diversion officers are following up with this child and their parents.

Speaking to 91Èȱ¬ News NI on Thursday, Alliance MLA for East Belfast Peter McReynolds said he was aware that one of the young people involved was between the age of eight or nine.

Mr McReynolds said he viewed footage of the incident, describing it as "horrifying to see".

"It doesn't represent East Belfast, it doesn't represent the residents in the area. It was horrific to see that someone has had to experience that. My heart goes out to that family," he said.

Mr McReynolds said that there can be anti-social behaviour within the area, adding that there has been a sustained police presence in the past while.

However, he added that the area is also "quite calm and the residents are pleasant, lovely people who are keen to have it better represented".

Speaking of the victim, Mr McReynolds says he would "urge her to not think bad of Belfast".

"I think this is a handful of individuals who are behaving like this."

Supt Dornan said police will continue to support the victim following the "distressing experience".

"Hate crime hurts and damages local communities and targeting anyone because of who they are or represent is utterly deplorable and must be called out," Supt Dornan said.

Mr McReynolds said some people "have grown up" thinking an incident like this is "normal behaviour".

"We need to show them that it isn’t the way that a normal Northern Ireland in 2024 operates," Mr McReynolds said.

"We need to have education, we need to have learning, we need to have understanding that these actions aren’t appropriate and accepted in Northern Ireland in 2024," he added.

The PSNI has called on the public to contact them if they are aware of hate-related activity taking place.

"Remember the victim won't necessarily be the first to make a report to police, they may need your assistance to speak up for them, so please do get in touch with us," Supt Dornan said.

She said she would also like to appeal directly to parents in the area, "who I know will want to prevent their children becoming involved in any such behaviour going forward".