The attack, said to have occurred at around 16:45, involved rocks being thrown at the victims’ home, with damage being sustained to an interior wall and one rock managing to smash through a window into a room where two young children were playing. Whilst the children’s toys were broken, the children themselves were unharmed, but were said to have been left badly shaken by the attack.

The PSNI have confirmed that they are treating the situation as a sectarian-motivated hate crime.

“I am absolutely disgusted to hear of this incident, and robustly condemn those who are behind it”, said Councillor McKinney.

“The behaviour exhibited here is totally unacceptable, and those who have carried out this attack achieve nothing but bringing shame upon themselves in their attempt to stoke divisions. There is no place for sectarian violence or intimidation in our community, or in Northern Ireland at large, and these thugs speak for nobody.

“I would urge anyone with any potential information on this incident to contact the PSNI or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers, so those responsible can be brought to justice.”