Race hate crime suspected after arson attack on east Belfast church

By Rebecca Black and David Young, PA

A fire at a church in east Belfast is being investigated as a racially motivated hate crime.

Police said an angle grinder-type tool was used to cut a hole in shutters at the premises in Templemore Street on Tuesday night before a fire was started.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which caused damage to the shutters and front hall of the building, which is used by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.

The church, first founded in Brazil in 1977, has congregations across the world, including 45 in the UK. It has been present in Northern Ireland since 2012 and at the site on Templemore Street since 2018. Its congregation has been described as diverse.

On Wednesday morning, workmen were at the church assessing damage to the building.

Rev Mervyn Gibson of the nearby Westbourne Presbyterian Church condemned the incident, saying that all arson attacks are wrong.

A PSNI spokesman said two masked males, wearing dark-coloured track suits, arrived at the premises shortly before 9.30pm.

“An angle grinder-type tool was then used to cut a hole in the shutters before a flammable substance was thrown inside and set alight.

“Fire service personnel attended and extinguished the fire, which caused damage to the shutters and the front hall of the building, with further smoke damage caused inside the building.

“Both males are believed to have run off along Templemore Street after the incident, which is being treated as a racially motivated hate crime.”

Police have issued an appeal to anyone with any information about the incident or who may have doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage from the area that might help the investigation to call the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1852 27/08/24.

A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.