Commission defends parades decision

The chairman of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission today defended the decision to allow two rival parades to go ahead within two hours of each other in North Belfast which ended with serious public disorder and dissident republican gunmen opening fire on police.

More than 20 police officers were injured during the trouble which flared last night after a group of Orangemen marched past the nationalist Ardoyne district. None of the injuries are thought to be serious.