Twenty-five Romanians who were the victims of racist intimidation in Belfast left Northern Ireland today, with 75 others due to leave later this week.

The Stormont social development minister, Margaret Ritchie, confirmed earlier today that 100 of a group of 114 who had been targeted in racist attacks wanted to return to Romania.

Ritchie said only 14 of the Romanians subjected to the attacks – a family of seven and seven single men – had opted to remain in Belfast.

"I deeply regret that, but it is a matter of personal choice," the SDLP minister said.

Ritchie added that the Romanians' decision to leave "runs against our aims to build a shared future within Northern Ireland".

She said funds from the Northern Ireland housing executive had been found to cover the cost of flying the 100 Romanians home. Last week, the Romanian consul said his country had no plans to pay for the flights.

Meanwhile, the Belfast church in which the Romanians took shelter after the attacks has been vandalised.

Seven windows in the Belfast City church were smashed and the front door damaged in the attack, which happened overnight.

Police are examining footage from a community safety video camera that points directly towards the church. They believe the vandals may have been caught on film.

The church's pastor, Malcolm Morgan, said the building's interior was covered in broken glass.

"I arrived this morning to find windows smashed at the front of our church and our main doorway smashed as well," he said.

"Stones were lying scattered on the floor inside and outside, and ... broken glass was everywhere.

"It would be easy to conclude it was carried out by someone who didn't like our response to the Romanians, but that is only guesswork."

He said the church had been "thrilled that we were able to respond to the Romanian situation ... these broken windows wouldn't have stopped us anyway".

As forensic teams searched the area around the church, a member of the public interrupted an interview Morgan was giving to a local television station and handed him an envelope containg cash to go towards repair work.

Last week, the church, in the university area of the city, gave emergency shelter to 20 Romanian families who had been driven from their homes near Lisburn Road.

The families are now in a secret location in the city under armed police guard.

A 21-year-old man will appear in a Belfast court later today charged with intimidation and threatening behaviour.

The charges are understood to be connected to the attacks on two south Belfast properties where Romanian families were living.

Two teenagers from the south of the city have already been charged in relation to the attacks.

Beyond Belfast, a Polish family with a four-year-old son have left their home in Moygashel, County Tyrone, after an attack on the building.

Bricks were thrown at the house and two cars vandalised in the attack, which happened early yesterday.

Stones and bricks were also thrown at a house occupied by a Lithuanian family in the same area.