A family have cheated injury after a petrol bomb was thrown into their home in the early hours of this morning.

Police are treating the attack in Ballymena as a ‘hate crime’.

The petrol bomb was thrown in through the front window of a house in the Kintyre Park area of Ballykeel estate at around 1 am this morning.

It exploded in the front room.

Fortunately, the flames were extinguished by the occupants of the house who escaped uninjured.

Police said that two men in hooded tops were seen leaving the area shortly after the attack.

Inspector Nick Woods said: “This incident is being treated as a hate crime by police.”

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police in Ballymena on the 101 non-emergency number.