A church in east Belfast was deliberately set alight and the incident is being investigated as a racially motivated hate crime, according to the PSNI.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, first founded in Brazil in 1977, has been present in Northern Ireland since 2012.

Around half its 70 strong congregation is local, the rest are from various countries around the world.

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.”