Police response criticised after Romanians face racist terror

More than 100 Romanians moved to emergency accommodation in Belfast last night as police faced criticism over their response to the racist attacks that forced the families to flee.

The UK’s Romanian General Consul will hold talks with a minister in the Northern Ireland Executive today in a bid to end the immigrants’ plight.

The Romanians fled after a racist gang – one member allegedly brandishing a gun – targeted homes in the university area of the city.

The families spent Tuesday night in a church hall.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined Stormont ministers in condemning the attacks.

While police will guard the new dwellings around the clock, officers were yesterday forced to reject claims they had been slow to answer 999 calls in recent days as tensions grew.

Though the accommodation has been provided for a week, with the possibility of alternative lodgings thereafter, many families vowed to leave Northern Ireland for good. “We want to go home because right now we are not safe here,” said Maria Fechete, a Romanian mother of two. “We want to go back home to Romania, everybody right now does.”

The families spent yesterday at an indoor tennis centre near the River Lagan before being bussed to the temporary accommodation.

Simmering racial tensions in the area have erupted over recent days, culminating with an attack on a rally in support of the east European migrants on Monday night.

Youths hurled bottles and made Nazi salutes at those taking part in the anti-racism rally. The Romanians claimed neo-Nazi literature was pushed through their letter boxes.

Area commander superintendent Chris Noble defended the handling of the situation both on Tuesday night and in the days before that.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness both hit out at those responsible for the attacks.