Lithuanian consulate set up in Dungannon after hate crimes

The Lithuanian ambassador to Britain is to establish a temporary consulate in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, after a series of hate crimes.

He is visiting the North to give support to families who have come under repeated racial attacks, particularly in Dungannon where many work in a chicken processing plant.

Vygaudas Usackas said his visit comes as a direct response to recent attacks and said the authorities must take more action.

In all, at least 64 attacks have taken place against Lithuanian citizens in the North within the past year.

Mr Usackas urged the police to go the extra mile to find the perpetrators behind the assaults, not just for the sake of Lithuanians.

Eastern Europeans, he said, clearly contribute to the Northern economy.

People back home in Lithuania, he said, were relatively unaware of the Troubles and just regard the North as a country where they could earn a living.