Bishop applauded on attack stance

An attack on a Catholic school caused substantial damage

A Church of Ireland bishop has been given a standing ovation after speaking at Masses in County Antrim.

Bishop of Connor Alan Harper said he wanted to show support for Catholics following a spate of sectarian attacks in Ballymena.

The chief constable has said young people are at the centre of an upsurge in the attacks. Extra officers have been drafted in to protect property.

Catholic-owned properties, schools and churches have all been targeted.

The bishop told the BBC's Sunday Sequence programme that words of condemnation over the attacks were not enough.

He said: "I would very much like to see churchmen and political leaders, people who have status in the community, who are perhaps elected by the community to represent them, to find ways of modelling a respect for collaborative solidarity with one another.

"It doesn't require any surrender of principle, what it requires is for people to stand together but to be seen to stand together."

SECTARIAN ATTACKS IN BALLYMENA 1 MARCH - 31 AUGUST 5 arson attacks, all on Catholics (2 considered as attempted murder) 4 petrol bombs: 2 Catholic, 2 Protestant 5 sectarian assaults: 2 Catholic, 3 Protestant 8 paint attacks: 7 Catholic, 1 Protestant 13 criminal damage: 9 Catholic, 4 Protestant 7 intimidation: 3 Catholic, 4 Protestant Total incidents: 42. Catholic: 28; Protestant: 14

Thirty police officers have been involved in the fresh security operation to prevent sectarian attacks.

Operation Striker covered 50 Catholic-owned properties, churches, schools and GAA sports grounds last week.

Vehicle checkpoints were set up in Ballymena, Ahoghill and Portglenone whilst mobile patrols covered other locations.

Chief Constable Sir Huge Orde told a meeting of the Policing Board on Friday that sectarianism "was a problem far wider and more complicated than a simple policing solution".

Ballymena district commander Chief Superintendent Terry Shevlin told the same meeting that police had identified a problem with sectarian violence in the area as far back as March.

The Policing Board holds the Police Service of Northern Ireland to account.