Attacked immigrants flee N Ireland

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Twenty-five have already gone and another 75 are planning to go in the coming days while just 14 have decided to stay in Belfast.

As they made their travel plans there was outrage when the church which offered them sanctuary for a night last week had its windows smashed in an attack.

Three men aged 20 were arrested hours later at a house a short distance from the City Church in south Belfast's University Avenue for questioning about the attack, which was captured on CCTV.

Two were released by police on Tuesday night pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service, while the third was released unconditionally.

Earlier a 21-year-old man appeared in court in Belfast charged with intimidating Romanians last week. On Monday two boys, aged 15 and 16, appeared in court on charges linked to the attacks. Two more teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were questioned about intimidation and provocative conduct after being detained on Monday night in south Belfast and on Tuesday released on bail pending further inquiries.

Announcing the decision of the 100 to go back to Romania, Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said their flight would be funded from emergency government funds. The minister said she deeply regretted the decision to leave.

Pastor Malcolm Morgan, who discovered the damage to his church, said the church had never been attacked in such a way before but it was only speculation that it was connected to the help the church gave to the 22 Romanian families.

He said: "It would be easy to conclude that it was someone who did not like our work with the Romanians, but that is only guesswork. If it is, I think that is very sad."

He said he did not regret what he had done and a few smashed windows was "a small price to pay".