A lethal crossbow bolt was fired through the window of the south Belfast residence of 42-year-old Maltese Tony Parnis, narrowly missing him and his friend, the Belfast Telegraph has reported.

The newspaper said that Mr Parnis, a resident of Belfast for the past three years, had lived in the Donegall Mews property for two weeks. The bolt just missed his head and hit a toaster in his kitchen, punching a hole in it.

The incident happened at 8.50pm on Tuesday night.

Mr Parnis, who is unemployed, told the Belfast Telegraph he was sitting by the window with a friend listening to music and chatting when the arrow shot through.

"I'm lucky to be alive. It's not nice to think someone nearly killed you.

"I saw it fly past and hit the toaster. We were in shock but I'm not scared – I just don't know why it's happened to me…

"When something like this happens you begin to ask questions, and especially because I don't know why I was targeted."

He said he did not believe the incident was a hate crime pointing out that the property’s previous tenant of three years was Chinese and had never been targeted because of his nationality.

Mr Parnis said Police Service of Northern Ireland officers stormed the home last month after his first week in the flat.

"It's been one thing after another."

A search had been carried out on September 28 in relation to suspected criminal activity.