A Portuguese man was headbutted on a hotel dancefloor in Northern Ireland's latest suspected race-hate attack, police said today.
He was assaulted during a Christmas party night in the Leighinmohr Avenue area of Ballymena, Co Antrim.
It came just two days after Criminal Justice Minister Mr John Spellar claimed the alarming rise in violence towards the province's ethnic communities was slowing down.
Police said the victim, aged 26, was cut above the eye and suffered facial bruising after the early morning attack. He needed hospital treatment and detectives in the town have urged any witnesses to come forward.
Authorities trying to halt the campaign against Asians, Africans and Europeans coming to work in Northern Ireland will be dismayed.
Even though four Polish immigrant workers had windows smashed at their home in Derry's Waterside area last week, Mr Spellar insisted the menace was not as bad as portrayed.
Latest figures show there were 312 racist attacks during the last six month period, compared with 453 during 2003-2004.