Orde appeals for calm and cooperation ahead of Loyalist march

The North's chief constable is appealing for calm ahead of today's contentious loyalist march in Ballymena.

Tensions are running high in the town after the murder of 15-year-old Catholic schoolboy Michael McIlveen last month.

Hugh Orde is hoping for a peaceful day and is appealing to people on all sides to exercise a calming influence.

“We have appealed to all people to engage and to talk across communities, so that we can get a shared agreement and understanding and there are no surprises and hopefully for this weekend’s March in Ballymena, there are some positive signs.

“It’s an opportunity for people to be successful and to show that we can respect each other’s cultures in a way that is civilized and allows everyone to go about their normal business,” he said.