Northern Ireland

Homes evacuated in north Belfast

Alliance Avenue in North Belfast has been closed in both directions and motorists are advised to avoid the area, with a security alert in place.
Alliance Avenue in North Belfast has been closed in both directions and motorists are advised to avoid the area, with a security alert in place. Alliance Avenue in North Belfast has been closed in both directions and motorists are advised to avoid the area, with a security alert in place.

A number of homes have been evacuated in Belfast following the discovery of a suspicious object, the PSNI said.

Alliance Avenue in North Belfast has been closed in both directions and motorists are advised to avoid the area, with a security alert in place.

There are no further details at this stage, the PSNI said.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said she is “worried about the weekend ahead” amid ongoing violence on the streets of Northern Ireland.

The Sinn Féin vice president said: “I welcome the fact that there is a unity of purpose across all political leaders to say that this is wrong and it needs to stop.

“I’m worried about the weekend ahead. We all need to be very careful and very consciously try to do all we can to prevent this happening.

“I hope and I urge all young people to not engage, do not allow yourself to be used or manipulated in any sort of way, and to stay off the streets, stay home and stay safe.”

She added: “I think there’s a strong role here for the two governments, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. I made that point to (Secretary of State) Brandon Lewis this morning.

“It’s really, really important that we stand shoulder to shoulder and say no to this type of criminal behaviour, and that we don’t allow our children to be sucked in by criminal gangs who are orchestrating some of what we see on our streets.”

The PSNI appears to have backtracked on an assessment that the disorder seen in recent days was orchestrated by loyalist paramilitaries.

It follows a statement from the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), an umbrella group representing the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando, that none of its groups were involved in rioting “either directly or indirectly”.

Responding on Friday, Assistant Chief Constable Jonathan Roberts said: “It’s our overall assessment that the violence that has taken place over the last few nights is not orchestrated by a group, in the name of that group.

“There are certainly people who have been engaged in violence who are nothing to do with any illegal organisation. There are young people who have gotten involved and for whatever reason that they’ve decided to do so.

“We feel that there are may be some people, who could have connection to prescribed organisations, who have been present on the scenes of violence.

“But we don’t believe it’s been sanctioned and organised by prescribed organisations for peaceful protests.”