Three released over church attack

Three men aged 20 were arrested this morning in relation to damage on a church in Northern Ireland which offered sanctuary to…

Three men aged 20 were arrested this morning in relation to damage on a church in Northern Ireland which offered sanctuary to Romanians under racist attack have been released.

Two of the men were released by police tonight pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. The third was released unconditionally.

The men were arrested at a house a short distance from the City Church in south Belfast's University Avenue for questioning about the attack which was captured on CCTV.

A police spokeswoman said following extensive inquiries they were not linking the attack on the church to the attacks on Romanian families and that there was no indication of a hate or racial motive.

Earlier a 21-year-old man appeared in court in Belfast charged with intimidating Romanians last week.

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On Monday boys aged 15 and 16 appeared in court on charges linked to the attacks.

Two more teenagers aged 16 and 17 were being questioned about intimidation and provocative conduct after being detained last night in south Belfast. They were released on bail this evening pending further inquiries.