East Belfast: 'No hate element' behind HMO attacks - BBC News

There is "no hate element" behind criminal attacks on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in east Belfast, the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.

The attacks, which took place at around 00:45 BST on Tuesday 31 March in the Templemore Avenue and Paxton Street areas, targeted a number of properties.

The police said the incidents are being treated as criminal damage.

Windows were broken and graffiti was daubed on the outside of the houses. Police said a family who were in one of the homes at the time were not injured but were left badly shaken.

BBC News NI understands two young girls were in one of the homes at the time of the attack.

Meanwhile, a Belfast city councillor has described the incident as racially motivated.

The Green Party's Brian Smyth said HMOs have become the "new battleground for several known online racist agitators to stir up anti-immigrant sentiment".

Brian Smyth told The Nolan Show many of the "issues arising with HMOs in the last number of months" are racially motivated.

"HMOs have become the new battleground for several known online racist agitators to stir up anti-immigrant sentiment," he said.

Smyth added that the attacks need to be "quickly curtailed because it's going to spiral out of control".

"What we're seeing here is online race-baiters digging into this and using it as an excuse because they simply do not like people who have brown skin.

"There are a number of well-known racist accounts driving this."

Smyth said the local community would be "utterly disgusted" by the attacks.

However, Smyth also added that there exist serious issues with the use of HMOs.

"HMOs are symptomatic of the failure of the Stormont Executive to build enough social housing," he said.

"There is a wider issue here. We need rent caps and we need social housing to be rapidly expanded."

Alliance Party councillor Fiona McAteer condemned what she described as "absolutely disgusting" attacks.

"Everyone is allowed a roof over their head, everyone deserves a home," she said.

"East Belfast is an inclusive, diverse community and we're a welcoming community."

She said the graffitti was "not acceptable" but added the issue was "not new".

"I think there is a sinister underbelly from social media about people riling things up," she said.

"It's something that we need to get a handle on."

What is a HMO?

The legal definition of a HMO is a property lived in by three or more people from three or more separate households who share facilities like a kitchen.

A house which is currently used as a single family home needs planning permission before it can be operated as a HMO.

All HMOs in Northern Ireland must also be licensed by their local council. Running an unlicensed HMO is a criminal offence.

Planning rules also restrict the number of HMOs, generally a maximum of 20% of houses in designated areas and 10% everywhere else.

HMOs have traditionally been used by students but have become a source of controversy across the UK as the government shuts asylum hotels and disperses people into HMOs.

Street preacher allegedly subjected Belfast’s deputy Lord Mayor to foul-mouthed rant | Belfast Live

Mr Justice Fowler heard he became disorderly and struggled as attempts were made to arrest him and two officers were injured

A street preacher allegedly subjected Belfast’s deputy Lord Mayor to a foul-mouthed rant outside City Hall, the High Court heard today.

Prosecutors claimed Councillor Paul Doherty had to retreat amid fears Colin Houston would assault him during last week’s confrontation.

Houston, 61, is also accused of swearing at council security staff who asked him to take down a Jesus flag and then injuring two PSNI officers.

The Christian pastor, of Forthriver Way in Belfast, faces charges of common assault, three assaults on police, disorder behaviour and resisting arrest over the incidents.

He was granted bail but barred from returning to the city centre.

Houston allegedly became abusive while standing at the gates of City Hall with a loud speaker and flag on March 23.

It was claimed that he initially shouted at an elderly member of the public: “Shut your mouth you f***ing c**t’.”

Mr Doherty, an SDLP councillor and current deputy Lord Mayor, alleged the street preacher then directed his aggression at him during a confrontation in the grounds.

“He shouted at him in an aggressive manner ‘it’s your f***ing fault things are happening in Belfast, you and the rest of them, you’ll get your comeuppance you f***ing c**t’,” Crown counsel submitted.

“Mr Doherty feared he would be assaulted by Mr Houston so he moved away to his place of work within City Hall.”

Photographs were taken from inside the building and shown to police who identified the defendant.

Two members of the city Council’s security staff also made claims he verbally abused them following a request to remove his flag from the railings.

“They alleged he called them ‘c**ts’, ‘d***heads’ and other slurs like ‘SDLP sodomites’,” the prosecutor disclosed.

By the time officers arrived Houston had left the area, but he was located later that day at Cornmarket in the city centre.

Mr Justice Fowler heard he became disorderly and struggled as attempts were made to arrest him.

“As a result of his actions three officers were assaulted and two were injured,” counsel said.

“He stated ‘you wouldn’t be doing this to Muslims, you wouldn’t be doing this to Hare Krishna, but you do it to a Christian’.”

During interviews Houston accepted having an interaction with the deputy Lord Mayor, but denied assaulting or abusing him.

He maintained that he had called the security guards nothing more abusive or threatening than “assholes”.

Turlough Madden, defending, argued Houston should not be kept in custody on charges expected to remain at magistrates court level.

Stressing he was not attempting to downplay the seriousness of the allegations, the barrister said: “The height of the prosecution is disorderly behaviour where foul language was used and a common assault against the deputy Lord Mayor.”

Mr Madden added that his client was seeking release to help care for his elderly mother.

Despite expressing concern over the number of incidents allegedly involving Houston, the judge decided to grant him bail.

Mr Justice Fowler ordered him not to contact the deputy Lord Mayor and confirmed: “There will be an exclusion zone from the city centre.”