Police are investigating threatening graffiti against workmen repairing a fire-damaged charity building.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said that in the early hours of Wednesday morning a wall in west Belfast was daubed with threats to shoot workers repairing the Welcome Organisation’s building.

The homelessness charity’s building had been heavily damaged by a suspected arson attack yesterday, police said. 

Images carried by news outlets showed the graffiti said: “Any work-men [sic] repairing Welcome Centre will be shot!” 

Inspector Hamilton of the PSNI said: “Shortly after 1.20am this morning, 24 July, police received a report that graffiti of a threatening nature had been sprayed onto a wall in the Milford Close area.”

The graffiti incident came after a suspected arson attack on Tuesday which left the charity’s building severely damaged.

Róisín Brown, west Belfast neighbourhood inspector, said: “A man, aged in his 40s, was arrested this morning, Wednesday 24 July, by officers in the west Belfast area on suspicion of arson and related offences.

“He remains in custody at this time assisting officers with their enquiries as the investigation continues.”

The charity responded to the attack in a social media post, saying it was “a reflection of the social exclusion faced by service users on a daily basis”. 

It said: “Our thanks go to everyone who reached out to us in support and condemned the attack on the building.

“Staff have worked hard to ensure service users had access to food, basic needs [and] housing referrals as usual.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to support the most vulnerable in our society.”