Peace plan put on hold as battles break out

A loyalist initiative to reduce tensions in Belfast has been put on hold after a fresh bout of rioting in the east of the city last night.

Members of the Loyalist Commission, an umbrella group representing paramilitaries, politicians and church leaders, met yesterday to formulate a plan.

But later they announced it was staying on the drawing board after the new clashes.

They were understood to be monitoring the situation and hope to proceed if the situation calms over the coming days.

The Commission said in a statement that following lengthy discussions they had been ready to come forward with ‘‘a major initiative in an effort to reduce rising tensions’’.

But they added: ‘‘Sadly it had to be postponed due to yet another republican orchestrated attack into a Protestant community.

‘‘It is all the more sinister that this attack occurred within hours of a visit by Martin McGuinness to the Short Strand, where his words of peace were not reflected by his community’s actions.’’

Sources close to the commission indicated it had been due to agree to no loyalist first strikes at interfaces across Belfast and that they would only retaliate if nationalists attacked their areas first.

Ulster Unionists, church leaders and representatives of the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force are among those who sit on the commission.

It was set up last year in a bid to ease tensions among feuding loyalist groupings.

But it has also been involved in talks to end violence linked to the blockade of the Holy Cross Catholic primary school in north Belfast .

Its latest meeting came after the city had been hit by some of the worst sectarian street disorder in years.

In east Belfast Catholic gangs in the Short Strand enclave have fought gun battles with Protestant mobs on the neighbouring Newtownards Road.

Police last night confirmed fresh trouble and said plastic bullets were fired by the security forces at the Albertbridge Road end of the Short Strand.

A Police Service spokeswoman said a large crowd had gathered and there had been serious disorder and stoning by rival groups.

The security forces had secured a ‘‘sterile area’’ to keep the groups apart and there was a stand-off, she said. The area was last night described as tense.

Earlier yesterday, a woman and a police officer were injured during rioting in east Belfast.

Police said the woman was taken to hospital suffering from shrapnel wounds to her legs after a blast bomb exploded in Madrid Street in the nationalist Short Strand.

An army bomb disposal team was sent to the area to examine a second unexploded device.

A policeman suffered head injuries when struck on the head by a rock during stone throwing.

Both sides accused the other of starting the violence.

Nationalists blamed loyalists for starting the trouble and claimed a number of other people had been injured.

Sinn Fein local councillor Joe O’Donnell said a loyalist crowd had appeared through police lines and attacked houses causing damage and injury to a number of people.

However community worker Frankie Gallagher on the loyalist side said the violence had been started by nationalists.

He alleged it was they who stormed through police lines and threw stones and bottles at women and children staging a peaceful protest.