Ekin condemns racist pipe bomb attack

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jun 2003

ALLIANCE Councillor Tom Ekin has said a pipe bomb attack on the home of two South African nurses at Donegall Avenue shows that racism remains a problem in South Belfast.

Condemning the attack, Cllr Ekin said: "It is an absolute disgrace that nurses prepared to come from overseas to help alleviate the chronic shortages in our health service are targeted like this. It would appear that this was a racist attack, a growing problem in South Belfast.

"Attacks on any member of our health service, whether a nurse, ambulance driver or GP are to be condemned. They do a tough job in difficult circumstances, and for racist thugs to try to intimidate them from their homes is simply disgusting.

"South Belfast is the most cosmopolitan part of Northern Ireland, and the community here must unite against this tiny minority that cannot see beyond the limits of its own narrow-minded bigotry."