Overnight attacks in Larne including arson with petrol bombs, suspected racist graffiti and threats with a gun could be linked, say police.
Between 11-11.15pm on Sunday, petrol bombs were thrown at two homes, with windows smashed and graffiti with the words “get out” appearing on another.
Detective Inspector Crothers said: “Two windows were smashed at the first property in the St John’s Place area, and a petrol bomb had caused scorch and smoke damage caused to the living room. Thankfully the persons present were uninjured.”
At a second property in the Elizabeth Avenue area, an upstairs window was smashed by a petrol bomb with scorch and smoke damage caused to a bedroom, although no one was home at the time.
The third report from a property in Cedric Street saw two windows smashed and graffiti sprayed at the front of a house where the family, including young children, were present at the time.
“The attack on the property in Cedric Street is being treated as a racially-motivated hate crime. There is no place in our society for such behaviour, and it’s particularly shocking that this type of attack should be carried out while young children are present,” Det Insp Crothers added.
“We are grateful that no-one was injured, though we are very aware that we could potentially have been dealing with much more serious consequences this morning.”
By 4am on Monday morning, there was a further report that a resident of a property in Hillmount Gardens had been assaulted by one of two men who tried to enter his property with what he believed was a gun.
He was then hit in the face by one of the men, sustaining a minor injury which did not require medical attention, before the men made off in different directions.
