Loyalists fire on police after Belfast demos

The unrest continued for a third successive night on Saturday as a mob of around 100 subjected officers to a sustained barrage of petrol bombs, fireworks, bricks and other masonry, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

One officer was injured on Saturday night and nine on Friday.

It means more than 65 police have been injured in the clashes over the December decision to limit the number of days that the Union Flag flies over Belfast City Hall.

Police have responded with water cannon and rubber bullets.

Earlier on Saturday, a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after PSNI officers reported being fired at as they tried to deal with disorder.

The gunfire left Police Federation for Northern Ireland chairman Terry Spence in "no doubt" that loyalist paramilitaries had "hijacked" the protests.

He told BBC Radio 5 it was "very clear" that leading members of the Ulster Volunteer Force were "orchestrating this violence against police officers who are out there trying to uphold the law and prevent anarchy on our streets."

A number of vehicle hijackings have been attempted and shops raided during the rioting.

A largely peaceful protest during the day on Saturday attracted around 1,000 people.

And loyalists also announced plans to hold a small rally outside Dublin's Leinster House later this week "sarcastically" asking for the Tricolour to be lowered.

Organiser Willie Frazer - who was behind the abortive, riot-inducing Love Ulster parade through Dublin in 2006 - said that three busloads of unionists would converge outside the Irish parliament building.

Loyalists have claimed that the violence - back after a Christmas break - came in response to attacks by republicans.

But Sinn Fein East Belfast Councillor Niall O Donnghaile said that protests were simply an attempt to "intimidate and terrorise" the local Catholic population.

He slammed unionist politicians "who for weeks were happy to join in the protests, when it was obvious to all the agenda behind them was anti-Catholic and anti peace process."