Sick baby lucky to escape injury as brick lands in cot in suspected racist attack

A baby was lucky to escape without serious injury after a brick, which was thrown through a bedroom window, landed in its cot.

Fortunately the child was in bed with its parents at the time of the attack on account of being ill.

The incident – which happened at the Tarragon Park home, in Antrim, at around 2.20am on Wednesday morning – is being treated as a hate-crime by the police.

One of the kitchen windows was also smashed in the alleged attack.

SDLP Antrim Councillor Roisin Lynch described the incident as “appalling”.

“The reckless thugs who smashed the windows in the home not only sought to terrorise this family but they could have seriously injured a young child who luckily wasn’t in the cot that a brick landed in,” she said.

“Antrim is a welcoming town. Those responsible for this attack stand alone and against people in our town.”

Father Patryk Grzechnik, said that the child’s mother is now so scared she has taken the baby away from the home.

Sergeant John Hamilton said: “We are appealing to anyone that may have any information or to anyone that may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area at the time to contact Antrim police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 80 of the 12/04/17.

“Or, alternatively if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Recent times have seen a huge increase in hate-crimes perpetrated against minority groups.