‘An attempt to intimidate’ says Sugden

She said: “This was a deliberate attempt to intimidate and cause distress to this family and to other residents.

“Locals have told me of their disbelief, and this type of criminal activity doesn’t happen in Portstewart nor is it expected to happen again.

“At this time of year Portstewart is a sleepy and quiet town; this isolated incident by a callous individual is to be condemned in the strongest of terms.

“If anyone has any information I encourage them to contact the Police on the non-emergency number 101, or to contact my constituency office.”