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The police are assessing whether any paramilitary groups are linked to a number of anti-immigration signs being erected in Belfast recently.

They will also increase the visibility of officers to "provide re-assurance" to communities.

Interim Chief Constable Jon Boutcher told a meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday: "Anything done to intimidate any community is unacceptable."

Signs erected in the Belvoir estate are being treated as a "hate incident".

At the board meeting, the PSNI also made reference to similar occurrences in Glengormley and Newtownabbey.

Mr Boutcher added: "If you allow that sort of activity to continue, it will get worse and worse. We will not tolerate it."

Placards and signs erected in the Belvoir estate in recent days warned that the community "will no longer accept the re-housing of illegal immigrants".

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The signage also uses an offensive term while referring to "other communities".

Two signs have been erected close to high rise tower blocks in the estate.

They were reported to the police by the Housing Executive.

In a statement, Housing Executive chief executive Grainia Long said: "The signage that appeared in the Belvoir area is entirely unacceptable and extremely disheartening."

SDLP Councillor Dónal Lyons told ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News NI he removed several of the signs on Tuesday evening after receiving complaints from residents.

"The language is completely unacceptable and the signalling that it puts out is to my mind criminal and there should be no place for it at all in Belfast," he said.