They say it happened sometime overnight between Tuesday 7 May and Wednesday 8 May. Sergeant Culbert said: “At approximately 6.20am we received the first report that offensive graffiti had been daubed on the windows and walls of businesses in the vicinity of the Antrim Road in Glengormley. “This is being investigated as a sectarian hate crime and we would appeal to anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 173 of 08/05/24.”
Elsewhere, sectarian graffiti was daubed on the side of one of the Northern Ireland Hospice charity shops in Co Antrim yesterday.
Graffiti with the phrase “Brits out of Ireland” was sprayed on the side of the shop in Glengormley.
The charity said removing the graffiti from the building will require “time and money” that would have instead been used for their work in the community.
In a social media post, the Northern Ireland Hospice wrote: “Unfortunately, our Hospice Shop in Glengormley was recently defaced.
“The damage will require both time and money to repair, resources that would be better spent supporting the vital care provided by our amazing nursing teams to communities across Belfast and beyond.
The graffiti on the Hospice building
“As a local charity, we are facing challenges with rising costs, and we cannot afford the additional expense that this vandalism has caused. Every penny we receive is crucial for providing specialist care to local babies, children, and adults with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses.
“The people in the Glengormley area have generously supported us for many years, and we sincerely hope that this incident will not be repeated.
“Thank you for your ongoing support.”
The PSNI confirmed they are investigating the incident.
“Police are investigating reports of criminal damage caused to a number of business premises in Newtownabbey at some time overnight between Tuesday May 7 and Wednesday May 8,” said a spokesperson.
Sergeant Culbert said: “At approximately 6.20am we received the first report that offensive graffiti had been daubed on the windows and walls of businesses in the vicinity of the Antrim Road in Glengormley.
“This is being investigated as a sectarian hate crime and we would appeal to anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 173 of 08/05/24.
“You can also make a report online via https://www.psni.police.uk/report or Crimestoppers, which can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”