Violence erupts in Belfast

Police were attacked with low velocity rounds

Police have fired 15 plastic baton rounds after being attacked by a loyalist crowd with gunfire and pipe bombs in north Belfast.

As violence subsided on Wednesday evening, police said that they had been attacked by 23 pipe and blast bombs, 30 petrol bombs and that there had been five shooting incidents.

If this continues at this level someone will certainly die

David Boultwood
PSNI Superintendent

Police said these involved low velocity rounds, a suggestion that handguns or pistols were used. No-one was injured in what was the third night of violence in a row.

But police said it was a "miracle" no one had been killed.

Trouble flared at about 2000 BST (1900 GMT) when a crowd of about 100 people attacked police with at least five pipe bombs, officers said.

The violence was immediately condemned by Northern Ireland Office minister Des Browne.

"Those who riot, those who use bombs and the gun are embarked on a self destructive course," he said.

"They have absolutely nothing to offer the community.

"North Belfast has many problems, none of them is closer to being solved by the activities of those who seek to destroy rather than to build."

The BBC's Kevin Connolly said the violence bore all the hallmarks of an orchestrated attack on the security forces, possibly prompted by claims of police brutality.

North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds is to meet Security Minister Jane Kennedy following the violence.

Violence onset

Stones and other missiles were also thrown in the disturbances, which broke out on the Limestone Road.

A car was hijacked and set alight in nearby Robina Street in the loyalist Tiger's Bay area.

Supt Boultwood: Communities must talk to each other

A loyalist crowd gathered at the Halliday's Road junction in the Tiger's Bay area.

Sinn Fein councillor Danny Lavery appealed for calm and said the situation would only be resolved through dialogue.

"Until unionists politicians get off their backsides and talk to their constituents and try to put a stop to it, this will continue," he said.

Progressive Unionist Party assembly member Billy Hutchinson blamed what he described as police heavy handedness for the trouble.

Loyalist community worker Eddie McClean said "loyalist dissidents" had entered the Tiger's Bay area to stoke up the trouble.

Police said further rioting had taken place in North Queen Street and Duncairn Gardens.

Community appeal

PSNI Superintendent David Boultwood said: "This is probably the worst outbreak of violence we have seen for some time in the area.

"We have looked very hard and we have tried speaking to community representatives.

"Tonight is the time to appeal - after all this - that people who have any influence in either side of the community please speak to your people and get them off the streets because if this continues at this level someone will certainly die."

On Tuesday, there were serious disturbances on the Limestone Road when rival nationalist and loyalist groups clashed.

Petrol bombs were thrown and police officers injured.

There have been disturbances in north Belfast on an almost daily basis.