Lurgan incident: Arrests 'should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks this will be tolerated' says MP Carla Lockhart

Mrs Lockhart was one of many politicians who were critical of the incident in which a number of men were videoed attacking the door of a young Catholic mother in the Ashleigh Crescent area of the town on Sunday.

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The mum posted a video on social media which was captured by her ‘Ring’ doorbell. The girl, who was in the house at the time with her baby, is subjected to a torrent of sectarian abuse as two men bang and kick on her front door.

Police last night said two men, aged 34 and 37, have been charged with attempted criminal damage and attempted theft and are expected to appear before Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 31st May.

Chief Inspector Brendan Green, of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Policing District, said: "The charges follow a report of attempted criminal damage and attempted theft at a house in the Ashleigh Crescent area, which was treated as a sectarian hate crime.

“Police take reports of this nature extremely seriously, everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and we will continue to make every effort to ensure that this happens.

“We have increased patrols in this area to reassure the community that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart said: “Welcome quick action from the PSNI. It is now for the courts to determine any sanction for this hate crime. It should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks this will be tolerated.

"The response from the local community has rightly been one of revulsion. As I said previously this is not welcome in Lurgan or anywhere in Northern Ireland.”

On Tuesday, when news of the incident broke, Mrs Lockhart said: “I have been made aware of a video on social media showing a single mum being verbally abused and her front door being kicked.

"This is reprehensible and I would urge the occupant to report this to the PSNI. They are best placed to deal with this. This behaviour is not welcome in Lurgan or anywhere else.”

SDLP Cllr Ciaran Toman said: “At least the PSNI had the decency to call this as it is, a sectarian hate crime. There is absolutely no place for sectarian abuse, harassment, or intimidation of any kind in our communities, and we must continue working to stamp it out. My full support and solidarity goes out to the young woman who was targeted.”

UUP Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie described it as ‘absolutely appalling’, adding that the incident is ‘clearly sectarian and threatening behaviour’.

Sinn Féin Councillor Keith Haughian, condemning the ‘sectarian intimidation’ of the young mother and her child, said: “The police are investigating the attack which is clearly motivated by sectarian hatred.”

Eóin Tennyson, Alliance Upper Bann MLA said: “There is absolutely no place for sectarian abuse, harassment, or intimidation of any kind in our communities, and we must continue working to stamp it out. Our support and solidarity goes out to the young woman.”