Driver charged with attempted murder after riot in North

A driver has been arrested for suspected attempted murder after a teenager was hit by a car during a riot in Belfast.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers lifted the vehicle off the girl, 16, and gave first aid while separating missile-throwing loyalists from republicans in the north of the city.

One inspector sustained a severed ear and another officer’s finger was almost bitten off during sectarian disorder which prompted police to use water cannons and fire baton rounds, striking four people.

The road collision victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Another woman and officers were also struck by the car, according to police, in an area tightly packed with nationalist residents amid rising tensions over a blocked Orange Order march.

Glad of the opportunity to personally thank ARU officers involved in rescuing young girl at Ardoyne last night pic.twitter.com/nhI7fL4juM

— Sir George Hamilton (@SirGHamilton) July 14, 2015

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin said: “I am just thankful today, because many of us held our breath, and the fact that one of the girls has survived is to some extent remarkable.

“When we watched it many of us feared the worst and I am thankful that her injuries are reported as not life-threatening.”

Twenty officers were hurt during trouble at the sectarian interface at Ardoyne last night after stopping an Orange Order parade marking July 12, the highlight of the loyal order calendar.

Mr Martin said it was “regrettable” that loyalist demonstrators were not marshalled by members of the order.

A senior officer’s ear was severed by flying masonry and he is expected to undergo surgery, according to Mr Martin. He said another’s finger was almost bitten off but was saved by his motorcycle glove. It is believed he needed 12 stitches.

Shield-wielding members of the PSNI were pelted with bricks, bolts and bottles after preventing loyalists from marching from the unionist Woodvale area towards the nationalist Ardoyne.

Mr Martin said: “I want to pay tribute to the officers who were under my leadership yesterday. They did a professional and brave job.

“At one stage they were in the middle of three opposing factions. They did their duty with courage and professionalism and the humanity of policing was shown very strongly when ... they manhandled that car up on its end so that that young girl could be rescued (from underneath). The driver of the vehicle that hit the two ladies has been arrested. He has subsequently been further arrested and is being interviewed in relation to attempted murder.

“We had hoped for more effective marshalling of the parades yesterday. There was marshalling that occurred last year in north Belfast that did not occur this year in north Belfast, that is regrettable.”

The senior officer said violence was not orchestrated by paramilitaries and blamed young people exploiting the tense situation. He noted efforts by loyalist and republican community leaders, including Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly, to defuse tensions.

Unrest broke out at the end of a largely peaceful July 12 Orange Order commemoration. Around 35 petrol bombs were thrown in Derry and a bus containing loyal order members was attacked at nearby Greysteel as it returned from an event.

Violence erupted after riot squad officers blocked access to a contested stretch of the Crumlin Road where Catholics and Protestants live in close proximity.