West Belfast: Boy left with facial injuries after hate crime

A young boy has been left with minor facial injuries after an attack in west Belfast which police are treating as a hate crime.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the assault happened on the Falls Road on Tuesday evening.

It took place at a Middle Eastern supermarket at about 18:10 BST after a large group of young people started throwing eggs.

The Sinn Féin MP for the area, Paul Maskey, told BBC News NI it was “an unwarranted and disgraceful attack”.

It is understood the boy suffered a cut to his lip during the incident.

Mr Maskey said some of the young people involved are “very, very young indeed” and called for parents to check on their children.

“The community came out to stand shoulder-to-shoulder” with the shop owner after the attack, Mr Maskey added.

“When there’s an attack on the community, it’s important to come out and residents came out to show their support,” he said.

It comes after a number of businesses in other parts of the city were targeted during violent protests.

Disorder broke out after an anti-immigration protest at Belfast City Hall on Saturday.