Community leaders meet in bid to end violence

Protestant and Catholic community leaders from east Belfast are meeting in an attempt to end the violence that has been tearing the area apart.

The meeting, at an undisclosed location in the city centre, was organised before last night's trouble.

Shots were fired and blast bombs and petrol bombs hurled across the peace line which divides the loyalist Newtownards Road and the nationalist Short Strand.

Representatives of Sinn Fein and loyalist parties linked to paramilitary groupings are meeting to find a way to defuse the tension.

Methodist Minister the Rev Dr Gary Mason, who runs the East Belfast Mission on the Newtownards Road, is behind attempts to heal the rift between the two warring factions.

"It's an attempt to map out a way forward to try to stop this terrible violence," he said.

"I think both communities have concerns about what's going on and there is this blame game happening. It is important that both hear each other's perspective."

Community leaders from across the divide had met regularly to discuss ways to keeping a lid on potential trouble but this communication broke down earlier this year.

Among those attending the meeting is Assembly member for the area, David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party, which speaks for the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Mr Ervine said he expected there would be some hard talking between the two sides.