Road closed as officers attacked

The trouble started when a stolen car was burnt out on the Westlink

One of Belfast's main arterial routes was closed overnight by the police following violence.

Officers came under attack from a large crowd of rioting youths on the Westlink, off the M1.

Trouble began shortly after midnight on Sunday when a stolen car crashed on the Westlink and was then burnt out.

The crowd of about 100 people then threw stones and bottles at police.

A large crowd had been at a bonfire and open air disco in the Devonshires area which was lit to mark the 33rd anniversary of the introduction of internment without trial in Northern Ireland.

Police had been monitoring the crowd after reports of the car being set alight.

At the height of this bonfire there were between 700 and 1,000 people but no more than 12 to 20 people took part in the stoning Fra McCann Sinn Fein assembly member

Police closed the road due to safety concerns but re-opened it for a time.

At about 0430 BST on Monday however, the crowd had still not dispersed so police closed the road again for safety reasons.

The road was re-opened shortly after 0700 BST.

Sinn Fein said the police had contributed to the unrest by the way in which they had policed the incident.

Assembly member Fra McCann said they had exaggerated the numbers involved in the stone throwing.

"The PSNI sat in close proximity to the fire and there were a number of young people who threw stones at them," he said.

"My understanding is that the PSNI then withdrew across the Westlink and young people came out, no more than between 12 and 20.

"At the height of this bonfire there were between 700 and 1,000 people but no more than 12 to 20 people took part in the stoning."

There was a crowd of about 100 who did come out on to the Grosvenor Road roundabout at the Westlink who were making life very difficult for the police Peter Fararr Chief inspector

However, the police praised their officers who they said had remained in place despite a tip off that a rifle and handgun had been brought into the area.

"There was a crowd of between 200 and 300 around the bonfire and admittedly some of those people did not come out to take on the police and attack the police," said Chief Inspector Peter Fararr.

"But there was a crowd of about 100 who did come out on to the Grosvenor Road roundabout at the Westlink who were making life very difficult for the police.

"They kept on having running battles with the police for many hours throughout the night and there was still stoning at 0430 BST this morning."

SDLP councillor Margaret Walsh condemned the incident which she called "recreational rioting".

"Those responsible for this need to realise that it is their own neighbourhood that they are damaging, not only physically but also in the image it projects to the wider world," she said.

"I would appeal to those in positions of leadership within the community to ensure that a repeat of this incident does not happen again."

It is the latest attack on police officers across Northern Ireland over the weekend.

Police officers were targeted with petrol bombs during separate incidents in County Antrim and Londonderry.