Bus option more successful at Holy Cross

More pupils have taken the bus to the primary school in north Belfast which is at the centre of a loyalist protest.

On Wednesday November 21 about 40 parents and pupils of Holy Cross Girls' school used the buses provided by the Belfast Education and Library Board to transport them past the loyalist picket line on the Ardoyne Road. The bus operation has been hailed as more successful than on Tuesday, when only four pupils took the bus to school.

However, angry scenes on Wednesday morning at Holy Cross resulted in one loyalist protestor being arrested after the children went into the school. The woman was arrested following a confrontation with a parent walking a child up to the school. The police have said they have footage of the incident and will be launching an investigation.

Chief superintendent Roger Maxwell said: “We hope this unfortunate incident will not upset the efforts towards improving the situation.”

Meanwhile, the residents of the protestant Glenbryn estate are expected to hold talks with First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan on Thursday November 22.

The meeting follows a round of high-level talks yesterday during which parents and the Holy Cross board of governors met the two leaders in the Stormont Cabinet. Loyalist residents last night also met executive officials during talks chaired by North Belfast Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds.

Speaking after a meeting on Tuesday evening Sinn Féin north Belfast assembly member Gerry Kelly said: “This was a helpful meeting. There was a frank and positive exchange of views. A number of meetings took place today and discussions are scheduled with the aim of breaking the impasse as soon as possible. Whatever help is available from the Assembly and its departments should be given but the issue can only be resolved through dialogue at community level and a structured and public agreement.”(AMcE)