NI riots: Police appeal for calm during more disorder in Belfast
Police have appealed for calm after more attacks on officers during another night of disorder in Northern Ireland.
There was trouble in neighbouring loyalist and nationalist areas of north Belfast on Friday night. A burning car was rammed against a police Land Rover and missiles have been thrown in the loyalist Tiger's Bay area, with bins also set alight. Petrol bombs, bottles and masonry have been thrown at police in the nationalist New Lodge area. More police officers have been injured in the 12th consecutive night of violence in Northern Ireland. On Thursday night, police deployed a water cannon for the first time in six years after coming under attack again in Belfast. Nineteen officers were injured during disorder on Thursday night, bringing the number of officers hurt in a week of violence across Northern Ireland to 74. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Ch Supt Muir Clark said: "We would appeal for calm in the area and ask anyone who has any influence in communities please, use that influence to ensure young people do not get caught up in criminality and that they are kept safe and away from harm tonight." He urged people to avoid the Tiger's Bay area. SDLP Councillor Paul McCusker tweeted on Friday night that "enough is enough". "Those involved need to go home and leave the residents to live in peace," he said. "They don't deserve this and anyone not from the area should also go home. "For once, think of the residents." Meanwhile in the Ballysally estate in Coleraine, County Londonderry, a road blockage was set up and set on fire on Friday night. Earlier in the day, some signs were erected in Belfast calling for loyalist protests, planned for Friday night, to be called off as a mark of respect to the Duke of Edinburgh, who died at the age of 99.