A young family have escaped injury following a “racially motivated” arson attack on their home in south Belfast.
At approximately 3.30pm on Thursday the front door of a property in the Thalia Street area was 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.
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.”