TWO men aged 32 and 25 who were arrested over a race hate assault in west Belfast have been freed from police custody.

They were arrested following an assault on a 36 year man in the Sliabh Dubh View area of Ballymurphy yesterday as he was going to work.

The two suspects have now been released on bail pending further enquiries by investigating police.

Sinn Fein west Belfast MP Paul Maskey described the attack as “cowardly and senseless”.

“It saddens me that a man was subjected to a racist attack and set upon by a number of men in west Belfast while he was on his way to work simply because of the colour if his skin,” he said.

“This attack needs condemned in the strongest possible terms. Our thoughts are with the victim of this cowardly and senseless attack.”

Police have appealed for anyone with any information about the attack to get in contact with them on the non-emergency number 101.