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County Down: Orange Hall attack treated as sectarian hate crime

athfriland District No.3 A memorial stained glass window was smashed in several placesathfriland District No.3

Damage has been caused to an Orange Hall in County Down, in what police are treating as a sectarian hate crime.

A memorial stained glass window was smashed in several places and the damage was discovered by lodge members on Thursday.

It happened on Rathfriland Road, in Finnis, outside Dromara.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson visited the hall with party colleagues.

"This is wrong, it must be condemned. It's a hate crime," he said.

Finnis Loyal Orange Lodge 326 released a statement saying they were "saddened and dismayed at the attack".

"Never in 51 years since our hall was built has there been a single incident or attack towards us or our hall, even during the height of the Troubles," they added.

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PSNI Neighbourhood Insp Adam Corner said police were appealing for witnesses.