Police are treating racist signs placed outside a Co Armagh school as a hate crime.
The two signs were erected outside outside Dickson Primary School in Lurgan’s Mourneview estate on Monday evening.
They had been tied to the school railings in the Pollock Drive area of the town.
It comes after a suspicious approach at a play park beside the school was reported to the PSNI on Thursday.
A number of properties were attacked that night, which the PSNI are also treating as hate crimes, while the window of a police vehicle was smashed during the disturbances.
A PSNI spokesperson said they received a report around 4.40pm on Thursday of the suspicious approach at the play park.
Officers attended and arrested a man in the Ben Crom area on suspicion of assault.
During the arrest, a small crowd of people had gathered outside the house.
A police vehicle was attacked by the crowd, with its window smashed by stones.
Police said they assisted the remaining occupants in leaving the property, which was then attacked and had its windows smashed.
A short time later the PSNI received reports that crowds of people had smashed the windows of three separate properties in the area.
Superintendent Brendan Green, the PSNI’s Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Commander, said the occupants of these properties targeted were not connected to any of the previous incidents.
Commenting on the signs outside the primary school, Superintendent Green said: “The signs have since been removed by our officers, and we are treating this report as a potential racially-motivated public order offence. Our enquiries are ongoing today.
“As our investigation progresses we will continue to engage with local community representatives and partner agencies.
“We would reiterate our appeal that anyone with information about the signs is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1672 06/01/25.”
Dickson Primary School declined to comment on the signs.
Read more
Watch: Snow falls in Ballymena as temperatures plummet