A SINN FÉIN councillor was assaulted earlier today while attempting to intervene in a racially motivated incident on a bus in Belfast.

This happened when a 57-year-old woman began shouting abuse at other passengers.

Speaking about the incident, Campbell said, “I was travelling by bus to City Hall when I became aware of racist abuse being directed towards an older couple from Poland on the bus by a woman.”

“She was hurling racist abuse at them and using racist language and then assaulted them,” she said.

I, along with another passenger, intervened and alerted the driver at which point the woman became abusive to us and actually started attacking the driver as well.

She went on to say that she was hit in the head several times while attempting to calm the situation.

Speaking about the incident this evening, the PSNI said that it had happened at around 12.20 pm and was being treated as a hate crime.

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Inspector Roy Watton, said that, “the woman has been arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour, assault on police and three counts of common assault. She is currently assisting police with their enquiries.”

Anyone with information relating to the incident can contact the police on the non-emergency number of 101 in Northern Ireland and 0044 2890650222 from outside the UK.