Family escape injury after petrol poured through letterbox in hate crime in Belfast

By Hannah Spratt

A man, woman and three children have escaped injury after petrol was poured through the letter box of their house and set alight in east Belfast.

It happened in the Hyndford Street area during the early hours of this morning.

Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

Damage was caused to the door, and a window in the property. 

Local MLA Chris Lyttle says people in the community are horrified this has happened:

Detective Sergeant Sam McCallum said: "The fire was reported to us at 12:10am.

It's believed that an accelerant was poured through the letter box of a front door of a house in the Hyndford Street area and set alight.

"A family of five inside the house - a man, a woman and three children – escaped injury after the man managed to put out the fire himself.

“Damage was caused to the door, and to a window.

"This was a reckless act on a home where a family have the right to feel safe.

We could have been dealing with something much more serious today.

“Thankfully, no one was injured, however, the family has been left badly shaken.

"Our enquiries into this incident are at an early stage, which we are treating as arson with intent to endanger life.

It is also being as a racial hate crime.

"Hate crime, in all its forms, is totally unacceptable.

It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to ensure that we live in a society where diversity is respected.

If you or someone you know is the victim of a hate crime please contact police or your local support agency.

For more information visit https://www.psni.police.uk/crime/hate-crime/here-to-help/ "I want to appeal to anyone who was in the Hyndford Street area between midnight and 12:10am this morning and saw what happened , or anyone who has information they believe may assist our investigation, to call detectives at Musgrave on the non emergency number, 101, quoting reference 6 of 09/11/18."

Police are treating a fire at a house in East Belfast as an arson attack and racial hate crime. A family of five escaped unharmed, but have been left badly shaken. More on air. pic.twitter.com/QHjFzjLHEP

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) November 9, 2018

Picture by Alan Lewis