Belfast hit by another night of rioting

A group of around 70 youths reportedly threw missiles at a crowd of 250 unionists chanting sectarian slogans as they returned home from a protest past the volatile Short Strand area of the city.

Police moved into the Newtownards Road to separate rival factions where they were attacked with petrol bombs, paint bombs, fireworks and heavy masonry.

Rioters damaged vehicles with hatchets and sledgehammers as well as setting fire to barricades in the middle of the road.

Car-jackings continued and a lorry was briefly hijacked in the Albertbridge Road area.

Police fired water cannons and baton rounds to quell the protests.

Up to 400 unionists demonstrated earlier in the day as the city council met for the first time since voting to limit the number of times the Union flag flies from the Belfast City Hall.

The first of these will be on Thursday, to celebrate future queen Catherine's birthday.

The flag will be flown on another 17 days throughout the year and on the state opening and closing of parliament.

Councillors discussed the flag violence, which has led to more than 60 police officers being injured and 100 arrests, in a relatively calm manner.

Sinn Fein's Jim McVeigh accused unionist politicians of failed leadership and said they had allowed themselves to be "led by the nose" by a small band of extremists.

He said councillors would not be bowed by threats from loyalists.

"Their protests are pointless and they will have absolutely no impact on decisions that we take."

DUP councillor Robin Newton rejected the claim, accusing republicans of "bulldozing" the "purely political" decision through the council.

But he also echoed the calls of politicians on all sides for protesters to seek a political solution for their problems.

The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association said today that the unrest was seriously damaging businesses across Belfast.

"Many of the areas in east Belfast are crying out for new jobs and private-sector investment which is not going to happen while rioting and violence continue," chief executive Glyn Roberts said.