Three men have been arrested following a racially-motivated hate crime attack on a crowded beach in Helen's Bay, North Down, on Monday evening. Police described the incident as 'shocking' and confirmed it occurred at approximately 9pm while the beach was packed with people enjoying the heatwave.
The victims, three men in their 30s, were assaulted after an earlier verbal altercation. They sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. A police spokesperson said: 'We know that this was shocking for those enjoying the evening sunshine on the beach and want to reassure the local community that our investigation is progressing at pace.'
Shortly after the attack, officers stopped a vehicle and arrested three men aged 28, 23, and 21 on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. A search of the vehicle uncovered a quantity of suspected Class A and Class B drugs, leading to the 23-year-old being further arrested on suspicion of drug possession.
Police commended members of the public who helped prevent the altercation from escalating further. They are appealing for witnesses, particularly anyone who may have recorded footage of the incident, to contact them on 101 quoting reference 1721 25/05/26. Information can also be submitted via the online non-emergency reporting form at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport.
