Water cannons brought to Belfast

Water cannons are set to be used on the streets of Belfast in the next 24 hours in a bid to clear sectarian rioters off the streets.

The Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn maintains that the action is not a long term solution to the clashes which have occurred recently but rather a temporary measure.

The decision follows violent confrontations between police and both nationalists and loyalists in Belfast in the last week.

Nearly 30 officers and six civilians have needed medical treatment because of clashes which have devastated parts of the city.