Tourists took a pasting yesterday when one of the now familiar open-top bus tours was attacked on the Falls Road.

The Belfast Sightseeing company who take thousands of tourists around the city every week withdrew services from the Falls Road after youths attacked the bus at Dunville Park.

A guide on the bus that had been attacked said tourists on board had a lucky escape.

"When the first missile came it was obvious it was bottles and stones. At least one of them hit the bus, which was very disconcerting for people on the top deck and had the potential to be a very, very serious incident.”

Up to 50 city centre visitors were sitting on the top deck of the tour coach when the bottles and stones were thrown by youths.

It is thought that the attack followed another by a group of young people who were in the area on a privatey hired bus. They are said to have launched attacks on the Falls Road Memorial Garden and the Bobby Sands mural from a similar open-top bus.

The driver of the tour bus involved in yesterday's attack called for calm so that the service could resume.

"It happened around lunch time," he said. "We saw a group of youths lying in wait as we approached the park. Initially, we thought we were being attacked by water bombs. But then we heard stones and at least three bottles hitting the bus.

"The bus was full of people - from America, Spain, France etc. They were very apprehensive afterwards to say the least. The last thing we need in Belfast is to frighten tourists."

With regard to the first incident on Wednesday, it has emerged that some of the teenagers, who attend Northern Regional College on the Shore Road, were dressed in Rangers football tops. A spokesperson confirmed that an investigation was under way.

"I can't make any comment until we know all the details surrounding the alleged attack," she said.

(BMcC)