Loyalist protesters heckle Orde

Policing Board members were briefed on loyalist violence

Loyalists staging a demonstration outside the Belfast headquarters of the Policing Board on Thursday heckled Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde.

The protesters, who were mainly women, were angry at the way police handled three days of disorder which followed Saturday's Whiterock parade.

They shouted "shame" at Sir Hugh as he was driven into the board meeting.

Board chairman Sir Desmond Rea spoke with the group who told him of allegations of PSNI misconduct.

He said afterwards: "We believe as a board that Northern Ireland has been efficiently policed - that is not to say there were not individuals who went beyond what they should have.

"I said to the protesters if they have complaints against the police they can go to the ombudsman," he said.

You just need to turn on CNN or BBC World and you become aware this is a lead item Sir Desmond Rea

Sir Desmond said that through the street violence Northern Ireland had again damaged its image in the outside world.

"You just need to turn on CNN or BBC World and you become aware this is a lead item," he said.

"That is not a good sign for Northern Ireland Plc."

Democratic Unionist Party Justice spokesman and Policing Board member, Ian Paisley Jnr, said the briefing had held few surprises.

The police, he said, "appear to have lost, in certain parts of Belfast, consent to police".

He said the PSNI would have to try to win back "those who feel alienated from policing".

So far police have made 63 arrests in connection with the trouble.

Violence began on Saturday after the Parades Commission refused to change their decision not to allow the Orange Order's Whiterock parade to pass through a nationalist section of Springfield Road.

The chief constable has blamed loyalist paramilitaries, the Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force, for being behind the trouble.

Sir Hugh said 60 of his officers had been hurt over three nights of rioting.

Police officers and soldiers were shot at and attacked with petrol bombs, blast bombs and other missiles during the violence.

Dozens of hijacked vehicles were also set on fire at a number of locations across Northern Ireland.