More than 100 Romanian immigrants who fled their south Belfast homes have been moved to temporary accommodation following a violent hate campaign which has shamed Northern Ireland.

Shortly before 6pm last night, two coaches and a number of taxis arrived at the Ozone Leisure Centre on the Ormeau Embankment in south Belfast where the families remained throughout the day.

With police officers standing by, the families filed from the Ozone Centre, some carrying heavy bags, duvets, and other belongings, into the waiting vehicles.

Many smiled and waved at the assembled Press and replied that they were happy at being offered temporary accommodation.

The 114 terrified men, women and children, who are Roma people, have been offered a week’s temporary accommodation while the authorities try to devise a long term solution to their desperate situation.

Security was tight around the temporary accommodation last night as the Romanian families settled into their new surroundings.

Armed police were stationed outside the premises and entry was restricted to those with appropriate identification.

The PSNI requested that the location is not disclosed in a bid to avert further incidents.

Following a crunch meeting yesterday involving several agencies, Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said the families, who were forced to seek sanctuary in a Belfast church hall on Monday, would also be offered special police protection.

“I empathise with the plight and trauma these families are experiencing and I believe it is our duty to help them.

“I will ensure they are provided with temporary accommodation until we can fully assess their housing needs.

“I have spoken this afternoon with Dr Mihai Delcea, the Romanian General Consul in London and he has agreed to an urgent meeting with me.”

Yesterday dozens of Romanians, including a five-day old baby, were bussed to the Belfast City Council-owned Ozone leisure complex where they were given food and other provisions.

Police have dismissed claims that loyalist paramilitaries orchestrated the attacks which have been continuing since last Wednesday. In one of the most disturbing incident the racists were said to have threatened to slit a child’s throat.

The child’s uncle Couaccu Siluis said: “We are not going back to our house. It is not safe.

“They made signs like they wanted to cut my brother's baby's throat. They said they wanted to kill us.

“We are very scared. We have young children. We cannot go back. Possibly we could go back to Romania but we have no money. We have to stay here.

“I don't know what we will do now. We will stay here for a couple more days but I don't know after that.”

Another mother-of-two, Maria, who was too scared to give her surname, added: “We say we want to go home right now to Romania. Everybody feels like that.

“I hope we can go home soon. I have three kids and I want my kids to be safe. I don’t know why, it just happened. It’s very hard they just came, the first time they came they broke just one window. So they came back every night and broke more and more and last night they came inside. They broke the door and they were screaming and just being very rude.

“It’s just enough believe me. I don’t sleep for one week.”

But a local car wash worker, Deaglaz, said the thugs would not drive him out.

“I have a good job. I love Belfast. No money in Romania. I have a wife and a boy in Belfast. I have been here 10 months. I don’t want to go back to Romania.”

Condemnation of the attacks has been widespread.

During Prime Minister’s Question Time, Gordon Brown told the Commons: “I hope the authorities are able to take all the action necessary to protect them.”

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who visited the Ozone complex yesterday, said he was “outraged and disgusted” by the abuse.

“It is a matter of great concern for us that a small group of unrepresentative group of racist criminals would attempt to effectively threaten and intimidate a very large group of people within the Romanian community,” he said.

“We need strong, clear and decisive leadership, standing together against the elements in our society who think that these actions are justifiable in any shape or form.

“For too long now other groups have been in the shadows espousing and justifying racist attacks. We need to see anyone with information on who is behind these attacks, and intimidation to bring it forward to the PSNI.”

Timetable of hatred

More than 100 Romanian people have left their homes in Belfast, saying they feel unsafe after a series of racist attacks. The events have unfolded over the last week:

THURSDAY 11 JUNE

The police say they receive the first report of an attack on the home of a Romanian family in the lower Lisburn Road area.

FRIDAY 12 JUNE - SUNDAY 14 JUNE

The police say there are further racist incidents and attacks on homes.

MONDAY 15 JUNE

Some people in the area hold a rally in support of their Romanian neighbours. It is attacked by youths throwing bottles.

TUESDAY 16 JUNE

The Romanian families say they no longer feel safe in their homes. They gather outside one house before being taken to a church hall where they spend the night.

WEDNESDAY 17 JUNE

The families are moved to a leisure centre. Later they are taken to temporary accommodation at Queen’s University