House damaged in Coleraine in "sectarian motivated hate crime"

By Q Radio News.

A house in Coleraine has been damaged in what police are calling a "sectarian motivated hate crime."

Speaking about the incident on Westbourne Crescent, a police spokesperson said: "It was reported at around 12.15am that the front living room window of the house had been smashed and containers of paint thrown inside, causing extensive damage.

"Two cars parked outside the property were also damaged with paint in this incident which is being treated as a sectarian motivated hate crime.

"The occupants of the house, a man and woman, were asleep upstairs at the time of the incident and whilst not injured were left shocked as a result.

"Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and officers would ask anyone with any information which could assist them with their enquiries to contact them at Coleraine on 101 quoting reference number 30 16/06/20." 

SDLP East Derry/Londonderry MLA, Cara Hunter has condemned the attack:

“I was deeply distressed to learn of an attack on a home in Coleraine last night, which the PSNI are treating as sectarian. Shortly after midnight, a living room window was smashed and paint containers thrown inside.” 

“Attacks of any kind, but particularly of a sectarian nature, have absolutely no place in Coleraine in 2020.

"The community in Coleraine have pulled together during this pandemic, to support each other through this difficult time. Attacks like this fly in the face of our efforts to build a better East Derry and thugs behind them must be robustly resisted.”