Northern Ireland

Heavy police patrols after third consecutive night of 'senseless and reckless' violence

PSNI move in as rioting broke out overnight in Carrickfergus. Picture by Alan Lewis, Photopress
PSNI move in as rioting broke out overnight in Carrickfergus. Picture by Alan Lewis, Photopress PSNI move in as rioting broke out overnight in Carrickfergus. Picture by Alan Lewis, Photopress

EXTRA police patrols were put on in loyalist areas last night as the PSNI prepared themselves for a possible fourth consecutive night of violence.

Petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at officers in several areas including Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Sandy Row in south Belfast and the Waterside area of Derry over the Easter weekend.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Davy Beck said yesterday police in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus were prepared for more rioting.

"I will have additional resources available to me and we will respond to whatever may develop," he said.

"But there's an opportunity to stop this. This doesn't have to be a third night of trouble in the Cloughfern and Newtownabbey/Carrickfergus area.

"I would encourage people with influence in those communities to put a stop to this."

He said the attacks were "clearly orchestrated".

He added: "I believe that there's a small group of disaffected criminal elements that are clearly involved in influencing young people, and I would appeal to young people in those areas not to allow this to happen."

Five police officers were injured in riots in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus in Co Antrim on Sunday night.

In Derry, petrol bombs and masonry were thrown at police and pallets were set alight in the Waterside area.

About 40 youths were involved, including children as young as 12.

The Dungiven Road was closed for a period after the pallets were set alight at about 9pm.

No officers were injured, but a senior officer said children as young as 12 were involved in the disorder.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said: "It's the sixth night out of seven there's been disorder in streets of the Waterside."

He added: "I will reiterate our disappointment that we had another night of senseless and reckless criminal behaviour that achieves nothing but cause damage to the community.

"It is also shocking that some of those involved in last night's disorder were children, some as young as 12 years old along with others up to 18 years old and a mix of male and females."

The rioting came following violence in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast on Friday, ongoing violence in Derry on the same night, disturbances in Newtownabbey and minor disorder in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, on Saturday.

A total of 32 officers were injured across the north over the Easter weekend. It is understood their injuries include burns and lacerations.

In a second night of violence in Newtownabbey, up to 30 masked people set bins on fire near Cloughfern roundabout on Sunday evening.

When officers moved in to the area, rioters threw four petrol bombs.

About an hour later, up to 50 people threw 20 petrol bombs and masonry at police in North Road in Carrickfergus.

Police said four officers suffered leg, foot and neck injuries after they were hit by masonry.

The disorder came amid the continuing political fall-out of the Public Prosecution Service's decision not to take action against anyone over the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey last June.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has called on Chief Constable Simon Byrne to resign over the policing of the funeral and indicated her party was considering withdrawing from the Policing Board.

There has also been disquiet amongst loyalism over the Northern Ireland Protocol which has effectively created a border in the Irish Sea.

Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation Northern Ireland, told The Irish News there was "always the concern" that violence could spread further.

"When you hear the language around the Protocol and around the allegations of two-tier policing I think it's very easy for some people to almost take that as a signal to start (violence)," he said.

Sinn Féin MLA and policing board member Gerry Kelly accused unionist leaders "in particular the DUP", of using inflammatory language.

"There is a responsibility in the unionist leadership, political leadership, to show leadership here and not be winding the situation up," he said.

DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton doubled down on his party's criticism of Sinn Féin yesterday, reiterating his belief is that the violence is linked to the policing of the Storey funeral.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood yesterday called on unionist politicians to show leadership.

"While I would urge those involved to reflect on their actions and the catastrophic consequences for their future, unionist leaders need to take some responsibility for the incendiary rhetoric they have been using over many weeks."

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said "everyone bears responsibility" for the violence.

Alliance MLA John Blair said it was "never acceptable or justifiable to direct that anger at police".