Officers hurt during city trouble

Police were attacked during the trouble

Four police officers were injured dealing with trouble between loyalist and nationalist youths in east Belfast on Tuesday night, the police have said.

Trouble broke out close to the Newtownards Road at about 2200 GMT.

Sinn Fein's Niall O'Donnghaile called for those behind the attacks to stop and appealed for the community to work together to prevent further trouble.

Jim Wilson, a community worker, blamed anti-social behaviour with "a sectarian element drawn into it".

"It's becoming a wee bit more dangerous and a bit more fearful considering we're trying to move on," he said.

Mr O'Donnghaile said he was appealing "to political unionism to get a grip".

"What we need to do is collectively work together to tackle this issue and stop it from developing into the degree of trouble this area has unfortunately seen in the past," he said.

The injured officers did not require immediate hospital treatment, the police said.

Two police vehicles were also damaged in the trouble.

Officers blocked the road and, with the help of community representatives, the situation was calm at about 2300 GMT.

Police said that a male aged in his mid-teens was arrested and later released.