Seventeen-year-old arrested in south Belfast following report of racially-motivated hate crime

A 17-year-old has been arrested on two counts of common assault following a report of a racially-motivated hate crime in south Belfast.

The youth also faces a count of disorderly behaviour and one of resisting police on Sunday August 18.

South Belfast Area Commander Chief Inspector Mark Conway said: “Just after 5.30pm, we received a report that a young man was pushing and shoving members of our minority ethnic community and kicking the furniture outside restaurants in Bradbury Place.

”Police camera operators were able to track the suspect, and he was located by officers in the Wellington Place area. When the allegations were put to him, he became aggressive and was arrested for disorderly behaviour.

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”Two further reports of abusive behaviour were received, which are believed to relate to the same suspect. The 17-year-old was arrested on two counts of common assault, alongside a second count of disorderly behaviour and one of resisting police. He remains in custody at this time.”

And he added: ”Hate crime continues to be a priority for your local policing team and we will relentlessly pursue those who commit such offences.

“My message is – please report every single incident of hate crime. Targeting anyone because of who they are is wrong, and must be called out.

“We will do everything we can as a Police Service to ensure that everyone, no matter what their background, feels safe in their community, free from the fear of attacks motivated by hate.”