Chapel badly damaged after youths riot in Belfast

There was rioting on a sectarian interface in Belfast last night.

About 100 youths hurled stones and other missiles at each other on the Limestone Road in North Belfast.

There are no reports of injuries.

Meanwhile, a Catholic church in Belfast was destroyed in a fire early today.

Police said it would be much later before the cause of the blaze at St Bernard’s could be determined.

The church was well alight at 4am, when six fire appliances were called to the scene, on the Antrim Road in the north of the city, at 4am, said Fire Service assistant divisional officer Stephen Stewart.

‘‘Unfortunately, because the fire had such a grip on the building before we got there, the church had been destroyed, but we stopped the fire spreading to the primary school and nursery school,’’ he said.

Parish priest Father Daniel White said: ‘‘The church is a write-off.’’

But it would be re-built, he said, adding: ‘‘We had to stand by helplessly and watch the church destroy itself.

‘‘We hope it was an accidental fire and there was no malicious intent involved. That would be too much to take.’’

Last week a Presbyterian church near Portadown, Co Armagh, burned to the ground.