Bomb thrown during sectarian riots

Trouble erupted at the Halliday's Road interface

At least one person has been injured after a blast bomb was thrown during rioting between rival factions in north Belfast.

The trouble began at about 1630 BST on Monday with youths throwing stones at each other at a sectarian interface which separates Catholic and Protestants.

The police said a blast bomb was thrown from the loyalist side into a nationalist crowd in the flashpoint Duncairn Gardens/Hallidays Road area of the city.

An RUC spokesman said there were reports of "civilian injuries".

A spokesperson for the Mater Hospital in Belfast said two people had been treated for minor injuries.

The gates at Duncairn Gardens/Hallidays Road area were closed on Monday night and the security forces remained in the area for a time.

Sinn Fein representative Cathy Stanton claimed the trouble had escalated since Monday morning when missiles were thrown at a bus carrying Catholic children.

Violence flared

She said: "Gangs of loyalist men came in and attacked homes with bolts, bottles and bricks.

"Some people came out to protect their homes, a blast bomb came straight in and exploded in the middle of nationalists."

However, councillor Ian Crozier of the Democratic Unionist Party dismissed claims that the trouble had been orchestrated.

He said the violence had been sparked after nationalists went into the Protestant Hallidays Road area.

"As I understand it, there was a fairly fierce riot going on and there was an explosion," he said.