SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone has condemned the sectarian tone of the debate around flags in the aftermath of the vote at Belfast City Hall on 3 December to fly the union flag on designated days only.

Mr McGlone who is Chair of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee has also expressed his continuing fears about the damage done to traders across the North during the disruption.

He said: "The language used by some community leaders and politicians over the flag issue has been sectarian in nature. These deeply inflammatory remarks have fanned the flames of division and led to the violent scenes we have seen on our streets and towns.

"Since the third of December we have seen violent protests which have devastated businesses across the north. My deep concern is that businesses in the New Year will have to lay people off or close entirely. This is a terrible state of affairs for those trying to keep going in an already difficult economic climate.

"This year there was a particular drive to bring tourists to Northern Ireland with the ‘Our Time Our Place’ campaign. What a sad end to the year when we have a tourist bus being attacked outside the Days Hotel in Belfast, street protests grounding rush hour traffic to a halt and on-going threats to the lives of public representatives. The message being sent out to the rest of the world is that Northern Ireland is not a safe place to visit or one in which businesses can invest in.

"The protests have also sadly paved the way for a return to sectarian language which promotes hatred and polarises one community from the other. There is no appetite for returning to the dark days of the past. I strongly urge community leaders and politicians to refrain from using language which divides rather than unites our society. It is time to move beyond ineffective platitudes to the language of meaningful reconciliation."

(CD)