Senior police officers have been challenged over a “reluctance” to state that sectarian attacks on homes in north Belfast were organised by paramilitaries.

Sinn Fein Policing Board member Gerry Kelly said it almost seemed like there was an “avoidance” of blaming terrorist groups, after an officer said there had been conflicting reports over their involvement.

There was widespread political condemnation following the attacks on homes last month, when masonry was thrown at a number of properties in Annalee Street and Alloa Street.

Clanmil Housing Association, which operates the housing scheme in the area, said the attacks were a “sectarian-motivated hate crime”, and police have said they have stepped up patrols in the area. Alliance Party member Nuala McAllister asked about the policing response to the attacks in the north of the city.

She said: “A number of us political representatives have met with these families and sat with them and they have been understandably very upset and scared.

“We would like to think that it is 2025, this long after the Good Friday Agreement and actually we could have families living in shared neighbourhoods welcomed by all. There is a minority who are frightening others for the aim to get them to move out of their area and it is not acceptable.”

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said he wanted to publicly condemn the “hate-filled abhorrent behaviour” last month.

He said: “That day we saw attacks on houses, windows broken and clearly a sectarian attempt to intimidate people out of their homes. That has no place in our society and should not be tolerated. We will bring all of our investigative powers to bring people to justice.”

He said the police investigation is continuing and a man had been charged over damage to properties.

Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said there are “significant tensions in the area primarily around the issue around housing”.

He added: “What we are picking up in terms of local information, and there has been some conflicting reporting, some of that reporting indicated persons linked to paramilitary groups have been involved in the activity, however other reports indicate that the attacks have stemmed from a much more community level, rather than an organisation.

“That is similar to what we saw around August last year and the disorder as well. We will continue to monitor that situation.”

Mr Kelly responded: “I find it quite hard to begin to accept that when a number of houses are done, when it is co-ordinated, when there was a number of people in masks standing around for two hours before it and all this information was given to the police, that at this stage it almost seems like an avoidance of saying there was paramilitary involvement here. To say that there is tension around housing doesn’t say it. This is sectarianism.”

Mr Kelly added: “There seems to be a reluctance in these things, not just this, if it is paramilitary, of let’s not say it is paramilitary and I don’t know what the fear is. I am certain and everybody in that area is certain it is paramilitary.”

The Sinn Fein representative added: “People need to know that you are not trying to avoid saying what this is really about because they want to know if they are safe going back in there, is there an organisation which is going to attack them again.”

Mr Beck said: “From a factual basis I have indicated what information we have at this moment in time and there are conflicts around that. But that does include that there are indications that there were persons involved who were linked to terrorist and paramilitary organisations as well.”

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