Threatening graffiti appears near homeless charity

Police say the graffiti was daubed on a wall in Milford Close shortly after 01:20 BST

Graffiti threatening workmen who plan to carry out repairs on a local homeless charity has appeared in west Belfast.

The graffiti was sprayed on a wall in the nearby Milford Close in the Divis area in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, the Welcome Organisation's building was badly damaged when a suspected stolen car was rammed into the shutters of its building and set alight.

The fire caused damage to both the inside and outside of the building.

Police say they are treating it as arson.

A man in his 40s who was arrested in connection with the attack has since been released on bail.

The charity says it will consider leaving the area if it cannot gain the support of the local community.

'Vital' that work can be completed

The Welcome Organisation is a Belfast-based charity which provides services for those experiencing homelessness.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Jude Whyte, chairperson of the Welcome Organisation, said the group's primary concern was the "safety of our staff and service users".

Mr Whyte said it was "important that contractors are able to access the building so that the necessary works can be completed to secure the building".

"It is vital that they are able to do this without fear of violence or intimidation," he said.

Mr Whyte said the organisation was looking to make alternative arrangements off-site for its drop-in services with partners in Belfast City Council.

He said this woulld "ensure that we can provide the vital support we know that service users need in Belfast".

'Mindless' perpetrators

Belfast West MP Paul Maskey said he condemned both the arson attack and the daubed graffiti.

"The graffiti on the wall is absolutely shocking in my view and it's totally uncalled for," he told BBC News NI.

"The majority of the people in that area will condemn that graffiti because they don't want to see any attack on any workers because that is completely wrong."

Mr Maskey said he has been holding meetings with the Welcome Organisation for months to try and address the problems it faces due to workers' fears.

A car was set alight after ramming the shutters of the homeless charity in west Belfast

'Outrageous and mindless'

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the threat "should be lifted immediately" so the centre could reopen.

“This is an outrageous and mindless attack on a facility which provides help to the homeless," he said.

"I have visited this centre in the past and can testify to the invaluable work they do for our city and those who, through varied circumstances, find themselves without shelter.”

'Bully boys'

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll condemned the graffiti and described those threatening workers as "bully boys".

"Deprived areas like West Belfast are at the sharpest end of the housing crisis and all of the problems that come with it," the west Belfast representative said.

"If the mindless perpetrators of the attacks on the Welcome Centre think we can intimidate, shoot, or threaten our way out of the social problems working class communities face then they are sorely mistaken."

Mr Carroll added that instead of punching down on the most vulnerable, anger should be directed towards both Stormont and Westminster for failing to "invest in homes, workers' pay and in services".