North Belfast "calm but tense"

Police in Northern Ireland say north Belfast is "calm but tense" after a night of rioting.

Police in Northern Ireland say north Belfast is "calm but tense" after a night of heavy rioting.

Police were attacked by youths hurling blast bombs, stones and fireworks, a police spokesman said.

Last night’s incidents occurred during serious rioting in North Belfast between rival crowds of loyalist and republican youths on the Ardoyne Road.

The rioting factions turned their venom on the security forces when they moved in to separate the two sides.

A Police spokesman said they came under ‘‘sustained attack’’ from around 150 youths hurling petrol and blast bombs, stones, fireworks and other missiles.

At one point a section of the rioters tried to drag a policewoman out of an armoured Land Rover.

A number of plastic bullets were fired by the security forces before a semblance of order was restored.