Cookstown: PSNI investigating graffiti as racist hate crime

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said it is investigating graffiti in County Tyrone as a racially motivated hate crime. Officers appealed for information after graffiti was painted on buildings in several areas of Cookstown over the weekend. Offensive language was written on a wall in a car park off the Burn Road and a swatstika was sprayed on a bus stop outside Holy Trinity College. Shutters of a shop were also painted with swatstikas, while a racist message was written in the town centre. Efforts were under way on Monday afternoon to remove the paint, with residents describing the language as abhorrent and something they would not want their children to see. PSNI Inspector Ross said: “I want to assure the public that we take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously. “There is no place in our society for such behaviour.