Romanians flee Belfast to escape attacks

Belfast: The Northern Ireland social development minister on Tuesday said 100 of a group of Romanians who suffered racist attacks in Belfast had decided to leave the country and return to Romania.

Margaret Ritchie said only 14 of the Romanians subjected to the attacks last week a family of seven and seven single men had opted to remain in Belfast.

"I deeply regret that, but it is a matter of personal choice," the minister said.

Ritchie added that the majority of the 114 Romanian's decision to leave "runs against our aims to build a shared future within Northern Ireland".

She said funds from the Northern Ireland housing executive had been found to cover the cost of flying the 100 Romanians home.

The Romanian consul has said his country had no plans to pay for the flights.

Meanwhile, the Belfast church in which more than the Romanians took shelter following the attacks has been vandalised.

Seven windows of the Belfast City church were smashed and the front door damaged.

The church's pastor, Malcolm Morgan, said the building's interior was covered in broken glass. "I arrived to find windows smashed at the front of our church and our main doorway smashed as well," he said. "Stones were lying scattered on the floor..."