Parents target of school stone attack

Parents collecting their children from a north Belfast primary school today came under what police described as a "vicious" stoning attack.

They were pelted with missiles outside the Catholic Holy Cross Primary School on the Ardoyne Road, on the interface with a loyalist area.

The situation quickly deteriorated and police were called in to separate crowds from both sides of the peaceline, said the RUC.

Local RUC commander Chief Inspector Roger Maxwell appealed for people of goodwill on all sides of the community to use their influence to prevent such incidents.

The violence, initially involving mainly children, was the latest sign of rising tensions on the streets as the height of the traditional marching season nears.

It came the day after children as young as nine launched a sustained stoning attack on police and fire service officers attending a major fire in a Catholic social club in west Belfast.

The RUC said the attack was "heavy and sustained" and carried out by a large crowd of children aged between nine and 13.

A police spokeswoman said the attacks continued from the time their officers arrived at the scene of the fire at 4.15pm until they left at around 8.30pm.

During that time stones and other missiles, together with a petrol bomb were thrown.

Rubbish was strewn across the Whiterock Road and set alight.

"This was more than children playing with fire and could have resulted in a child being seriously injured," said the spokeswoman.