A south Belfast MLA has condemned an “absolutely abhorrent” incident after a young family escaped injury following a “racially motivated” arson attack on their home.
At approximately 3.30pm on Thursday the front door of a property in the Thalia Street area was set alight.
A man and woman were in the property at the time with their two young children but were able to escape unharmed.
Police attended the scene alongside the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service who extinguished the blaze.
Kate Nicholl the Alliance MLA for the area said the attack is “not representative of the greater community”.
“This is an absolutely abhorrent incident, and I want to extend my sympathies to the family involved, including two young children who should never have been exposed to such hatred and cruelty,” she said.
“No child, or person in general, deserves that. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes, and respected and valued in their communities,” she said.
“South Belfast, and the city at large, is a welcoming place, and this attack is not who we are.”
“Those responsible represent only themselves with such callous, violent behaviour, and they must be robustly condemned by all,” she added.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “This was a deliberate attack on a young family which could have had potentially serious consequences.
“As such, we are treating this report as arson with a racially-motivated hate element, and everyone, regardless of their background, has the right to feel safe in their home.
“Extensive damage was also caused to the door, its surrounding frame and the hallway area of the property.
“Our enquiries are continuing today and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and noticed anything suspicious.
“We also want to hear from anyone who may have CCTV, dash-cam or other footage of the area to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1015 10/10/24.”