A PETROL bomb has been thrown at police in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast.
A crowd attacked officers with stones as they responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle on Ardoyne Avenue at around 1am on Sunday.
The police vehicle was then struck by a petrol bomb close to Rosapenna Street. There were no reports of any injuries.
A man, aged 19, has been charged with offences including dangerous driving and using a motor vehicle without insurance. He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on Friday, 11 May.
SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said the police officers and members of the public "could have been seriously injured by these irresponsible actions".
Mr McCusker said: "No one should come under attack in this society for simply doing their job.
"This kind of reckless criminality will not be tolerated. Those behind this attack have nothing to offer the people of north Belfast and have put our community at risk.
"I have been in contact with a number of concerned residents following the incident and I will continue to work with the whole community to send a clear message that this is not the will of the people in north Belfast," added the SDLP councillor.
Inspector Tommy Fairfield said: "Thankfully none of the crew were injured and they were subsequently able to locate the suspicious vehicle and seize it. A 19-year-old man was arrested a short time later on suspicion of a range of driving offences.
"It is unacceptable that police officers simply trying to do their job should be attacked however I am pleased with how professionally the crew conducted themselves, continuing to pursue their enquiries and keep people safe in the face of such an attack."
