Council head to chair march talks

Orange Order representatives will attend talks with nationalists

Talks between the Orange Order and nationalists in west Belfast are to be chaired by the chief executive of the Community Relations Council.

Duncan Morrow said the resolution of the marching issue was vital in ensuring a peaceful Northern Ireland and he was hopeful of progress.

Mr Morrow said the violence at last year's Whiterock parade showed there were still "major difficulties".

"But there is goodwill and definitely a willingness to engage," he added.

"I think that's a very positive sign."

Last September, serious rioting followed the restricted Whiterock Orange Order parade in west Belfast.

The cost of policing the Whiterock parade and subsequent rioting was estimated at £3m by the PSNI.

Marching season

Officers were attacked with petrol bombs and blast bombs, as well as live rounds during the trouble.

The violence started after the march was barred from going through security gates on west Belfast's Springfield Road, and had to use a former factory site.

The Protestant marching season is one of the fixed elements of Northern Ireland life, and in recent years some parades have led to disputes and street violence.

The government-appointed Parades Commission was set up in 1997 to make decisions on whether controversial parades should be restricted.