A planned grocery on the Shankill Road in north Belfast was destroyed in an arson attack police believe was racially motivated. The owner, originally from India and who bought the building last year, said he was heartbroken and uninsured while electrical work was ongoing. Firefighters and police confirmed deliberate ignition to the roof; local politicians condemned the attack and warned it undermines regeneration efforts.
Heartbroken Owner Says 'My Whole Life Investment Is Gone' After Racially-Motivated Arson Guts Planned Shankill Road Grocery
The police said the building had been "totally gutted" by the blaze [BBC]
A grocery store due to open in the coming months has been destroyed in what police describe as a racially-motivated arson attack in north Belfast. The blaze broke out in the early hours of Saturday at a former Gospel Hall on the Shankill Road and left the building "totally gutted," the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.
The owner, who bought the building last year and asked not to be named, is originally from India and has lived in Northern Ireland for 18 years. He told reporters he was "heartbroken" and had "no words" to describe how he felt. The owner said the project had no insurance cover because electrical work was still under way: "My whole life investment is just gone on this and we had no insurance on it because the electrician work was going on. Everything is just gone and burnt out."
Police received a report just after 02:45 BST that there was a fire at an old Gospel Hall on the Shankill Road [BBC]
The fire service confirmed to police that the blaze was caused by "deliberate ignition to the roof." Three fire appliances attended the scene and left at about 05:00 BST.
Police response and community support
DUP assembly member Brian Kingston said those responsible have done a "great disservice" to the community [BBC]
Supt Finola Dornan said the out-of-use building had been bought by legitimate businesspeople who would have brought jobs to the local community. She added that the police would provide "supervision, investigation and support" to the owner and warned that hate-motivated crimes have a lasting impact beyond the immediate victims.
"We do not underestimate the impact hate-related crimes have on victims, their families and wider communities," Dornan said, adding that while policing plays a key role, hate crime is a broader societal issue that cannot be solved by policing alone.
Local political figures condemned the attack. Brian Kingston, the DUP assembly member for North Belfast, described the incident as "utterly appalling," warning it undermines regeneration efforts on the Shankill Road. Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey said those responsible "do nothing but damage their own communities" and called the attack "despicable," especially where areas are in need of jobs and investment.
North Belfast councillor Carl Whyte (SDLP) called the attack "devastating," noting he saw bags of food still in the doorway when he visited, a reminder that ordinary people trying to run a business and support their families have been affected.
Police have launched an investigation and local leaders have pledged support for the owner and the wider community as inquiries continue.
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