Contentious Orange march expected to pass off peacefully

The first contentious Orange Order march of the year is due to take place in north Belfast later today.

The parade is opposed by nationalist residents in Ardoyne, but there are hopes that it will pass of peacefully following an agreement reached between the residents and loyalist representatives.

The loyalists have agreed to limit the number of people involved in the march, while the nationalists have agreed to restrict the size of a planned protest against the parade.

Speaking last night, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness praised the initiative, saying he hoped it could lead to a new atmosphere of cooperation during the marching season.

"The summers over the last number of years have been difficult," he said. "I don't want to see a recurrence of that. I want to see total and absolute peace on our streets because our people deserve it."

Mr McGuinness also said he hoped politicians could learn from the Ardoyne agreement and set a better example.

"People deserve that their elected representatives will actually work together by showing good example, by encouraging people to recognise the importance of a peaceful summer," he said.