Two Orange parades allowed to enter nationalist areas

The North’s Parades Commission has granted permission for two contentious Orange Order parades to pass through nationalist areas of Belfast.

The commission said a Twelfth of July march should be allowed into the nationalist Ardoyne area, but bands should not be allowed to play music. Violence flared in the area during the same parade last year.

Another march was tonight given permission to enter the nationalist part of the Springfield Road in west Belfast, despite clashes between nationalists and police at a mini-parade in the same area two weeks ago.

A third contentious parade was banned from entering the Lower Ormeau Road, the scene of violent incidents in the past.

Meanwhile, police have arrested another three men in connection with the attack on security forces at the infamous Drumcree parade in Portadown, Co Armagh, yesterday.

Eight people have now been arrested in connection with the attack and three of them were charged with 'riotous assembly' in court today.

A total of 31 police officers were injured when loyalists threw bricks and stones at their lines in protest at being prevented from marching down the nationalist Garvaghy Road.

A police spokesman said further arrests are expected in the coming days. Assistant chief constable Stephen White, the officer in charge of the security operation, said several of the rioters have been identified, but have yet to be questioned.