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Man wants to move after racist attack on his home

Rory O'Reilly
BBC News NI
BBC Mutasim Mohammed is a black man with short black hair and beard. He is standing in front of a smashed window on his home. He is wearing a Northern Ireland football topBBC
Mutasim Mohammed said he felt safer living in a hostel

The victim of a racially motivated attack in east Belfast on Tuesday night has said he no longer feels safe in his home and wants to move.

Mutasim Mohammed and a friend were asleep at his home on Kincraig Avenue when bricks were thrown through two of the front windows shortly after 23:00 BST.

No-one was injured in the attack. Three males wearing grey tracksuits were seen running from the scene.

Mr Mohammed, who has lived in Northern Ireland for three years, previously lived in a hostel which he said he felt more safe in.

A wide view of the terraced property which was attacked in Kincraig Avenue, Belfast. The two-story building has four white framed windows. The two upstairs windows are smashed. There is a covered porch to the left and a red brick wall surrounds the property.

He told BBC News NI "We are very afraid, we can't sleep".

"Nothing like this has happened before. I was living in a hostel before but the hostel was safe, they had security always and they had the cameras also," he said.

"I don't feel safe in this area and this house, I must move. I hope I can get a house in a safe place."

He now plans to meet the Housing Executive so he can move out of the area.

Police are appealing for information.

The police said they were treating the incident as racially motivated.

"No one should be victimised or intimidated due to their ethnicity and there are no excuses," Sgt McAleavy said.

"Hate has a far-reaching and damaging impact on the whole community and we are committed to doing everything possible to prevent incidents, support victims and pursue perpetrators."

A Housing Executive spokesperson said they "utterly condemn" the attack and will "work with our tenant to assist them in the coming days".

"We would urge anyone with information to contact police", they added.