Ambassador 'encouraged' by reaction to race attacks

A leading Romanian diplomat will today continue political meetings in the North after a spate of racist attacks.

More than 100 Romanians living in Belfast, including young children and a newborn baby, were forced to flee their new homes after being targeted.

The Romanian ambassador to the UK Dr Ion Jinga yesterday met the North's First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Stormont.

Today he will meet Lord Mayor of Belfast Naomi Long and Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde.

Last night the ambassador said he was shocked by the attacks over the last week which have seen Romanian families targeted in the south and east of Belfast.

“I have been encouraged by the reaction of public opinion here because every reaction I have seen in the media at least was in objection to what happened two days ago,” he said.

“I come to my first visit to Belfast in an unfortunate and unhappy context. It is a place where we could build up projects on economic grounds, cultural exchanges, social co-operation – there are so many things that can be done together.”

More than 100 Romanian people had to leave their homes in south Belfast on Tuesday and were housed overnight in a church hall before being moved to temporary accommodation at an undisclosed location.

On Wednesday night a Romanian family was attacked in east Belfast when a window was smashed in their home on the Upper Newtownards.

The police have faced criticism over their handling of the violence, but Orde defended his officers’ conduct.

“It was a confusing picture, as I have pointed out,” he said.

“The officers did their best in all those circumstances.”

Yesterday Mr Robinson said the power-sharing government in place at Stormont had stood together to face down terrorism and sectarianism and would do the same with racism.

“Every one of us would hope and expect that they are given the best of treatment, we want to reciprocate that.”

He said the best possible outcome was for the police to secure convictions against the guilty.

Mr McGuinness said: “It is a totally shameful episode and I believe that the vast majority of our people share our anger, and we have been very angry, at what has transpired over the course of the last number of days.”