Damage caused to former Lord Mayor's portrait at Belfast City Hall being treated as a hate crime

Damage caused to a portrait of a former DUP Lord Mayor at Belfast City Hall is being treated as a hate crime by police.

The portrait of Lord Browne was removed from a wall after the glass was smashed on Saturday 19 October.

A Sinn Féin employee resigned after admitting involvement in the incident. UTV understands that to date, the police have not interviewed anyone in connection to their investigation.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police investigating criminal damage caused to artwork in Belfast City Hall are treating the report as a hate crime.The criminal damage is understood to have occurred sometime on Saturday evening, 19 October and was subsequently reported to police on Monday 21 October.Our enquiries are continuing and we would encourage anyone with any information to contact police."

Catch up with the latest UTV Live on ITVX

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.