More than 100 Romanians who were hounded out of their south Belfast homes by racist thugs were yesterday staying in a local leisure centre as Belfast City Council, the police and social services were due to meet to decide what to do next.

As The CT went to press, it is understood a number of the Romanians who were staying at the Ozone Complex off the Ormeau Road as are planning to return to their home country.

More than 100 men, women and children, including a new born baby, were taken to the leisure centre after they spent the night in a church hall in the Holy Land area following sustained attacks by a racist mob claiming to be from the fascist group Combat 18.

About 20 families accepted an offer of help from the City Church on University Avenue after they left their homes in the Lisburn Road area following a week-long period of racist attacks.

Trish Morgan, whose husband Malcolm is the pastor at church, said they received a call from a member of their church who was at the street where the race attacks were happening on Tuesday night and that they were happy to help.

She said there “was a mixture of emotions” among the Romanian families. “Confusion, bewilderment — they couldn't understand why people were doing this to them — and the need to protect themselves and their children,” said Ms Morgan.

The families said they are too frightened to return to their homes, with some just wanting to return to Romania as soon as possible. They said a crowd gathered outside their homes shouting racist slogans, smashing windows and kicking in doors.

Some local residents have accused the police of failing to protect the immigrant families.

On Monday night around 200 people gathered on the Lisburn Road to protest against racist attacks in the area.

Lisburn Road resident Paddy Meehan said: “The police have taken a long time to respond. They have been shamed into getting involved after around 200 residents were outside protecting the Romanian people,” he said

The PSNI said it will be stepping up patrols in the area and have appealed for calm following the latest tensions. They reiterated their view that the attacks were not the work of organised extremist gangs, but of people from within the area.

A PSNI spokesperson added: “Police in the south Belfast area are assisting several organisations in the temporary relocation of a number of families.”

Mr Meehan added that local residents are doing all they can to support the victims.

“People are absolutely livid about what has been happening here and it has to stop. This has been happening since last Wednesday,” he said.

South Belfast MP, Dr Alasdair McDonnell, said the Romanian people should be put back in their homes, protected, and the racist thugs who attacked them should be found and charged.

Dr McDonnell said: “The thugs who carried out these attacks are filled with nothing but ignorance and hate. That’s the mentality behind these hate attacks and the forced mass exodus of these Romanian families.

“However, the real issue for our whole community is to support these families and offer them proper protection. That means identifying the culprits quickly and getting them in front of the courts. Then we need to tackle the twin evils of sectarianism and racism head-on instead of just responding to events.”