A SINN Féin assembly election candidate has condemned "mindless thugs" who destroyed a car belonging to his election agent.

Police said that the man's car was attacked at Towerview Crescent in Bangor at around 10.30pm on Monday.

A window in the car was smashed and a petrol bomb thrown inside, with two masked men seen in the area at the time.

No-one was injured in the attack, which police said they are treating as a hate crime.

Kieran Maxwell, the Sinn Féin candidate for North Down, said: "I condemn the attack on my election agent's car. These mindless thugs will not stop the party in delivering its positive message to the voters of North Down."

The party's northern leader, Michelle O'Neill, said: "There are clearly those who are intent on turning this into a brutal campaign and sectarianising the election."

It comes weeks after Mr Maxwell made a formal complaint to police about offensive posts on Facebook.

Sinn Féin has also said that some of its North Down election posters have been removed and stolen.

In a joint statement, North Down DUP Assembly candidates Alex Easton and Gordon Dunne condemned the attack.

They said: "We are totally opposed to all forms of violence and criminality and would condemn this attack on a car in the Towerview area of Bangor.

"There is no place for this type of activity and such an attack is undermining the democratic system and will not be tolerated by the people of North Down.

"Any attack on a property or on an individual is wrong, regardless of who owns the property and we would appeal to anyone with any information to contact the PSNI."

The Ulster Unionist candidate for North Down, Alan Chambers, described it as "a blatant attack on the democratic process".

Mr Chambers said: "No one involved in an election campaign should be subject to any form of violence.

"Attempts at intimidation must not deter people from taking part in this election. Opinions must be expressed freely at the ballot box to let the voters decide, never on the street."

Green Party leader Steven Agnew was criticised after initially posting on Facebook: "The people of North Down will reject Sinn Féin at the ballot box, this attack was wrong and unjustifiable."

He later wrote that the "attack was wrong and unjustifiable", adding: "It was a poor choice of words. I condemn the attack and I should have left it at that, hence the edit."

Alliance North Down candidate Stephen Farry said: "This arson attack should be condemned by everyone who considers themselves a democrat. Because you do not agree with someone's politics is not an excuse for violence."