Photographer Wounded In Belfast Riots

A press photographer, who works for a local news agency, is understood to be in a stable condition in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after he was shot overnight in rioting in east Belfast.

The Lower Newtownards Road was again the scene of sustained violence as the large police presence came under attack from crowds of youths.

The trouble followed Monday's sectarian clashes, but this time, two water cannon vehicles were deployed after the roads were closed to motorists who were advised to avoid the area.

At one stage there were reports that 700 people were involved in the riots on Tuesday night but police have since revised this and said it was around half that figure.

The MP for the area, Naomi Long, told the BBC that a man who was struck with a brick on Tuesday night has suffered a fractured skull and her party colleagues, the East Belfast Alliance MLAs Chris Lyttle and Judith Cochrane have both now called for an immediate cessation to rioting at the Short Strand interface.

Chris Lyttle MLA said: "I would call on all those involved with this violence to consider the serious harm caused by their actions and stop immediately. This orchestrated rioting is unjustifiable and unrepresentative of the wishes of people in this area.

"I recognise there are fundamental social and economic challenges in this area that we must work to address but this destructive behaviour serves only to make that task all the more difficult."

Judith Cochrane MLA said: "It is completely wrong that local people, business owners and members of a free press should be living in fear and terror for their lives at the hands of a minority.

"I would urge all political representatives to work together with the community and emergency services in order to resolve this dangerous situation. It must stop before lives are lost."

In fact, the PSNI have said they are investigating the wounding of the press man in the gunshot incident and said they are treating the shooting as attempted murder.

This morning they said that a barrage of petrol bombs, missiles and fireworks were thrown at police lines for a second night, in what is being reported as the worst trouble in the area for a decade.

Assistant Chief Constable, Alistair Finlay said it would be a "very strange development" if people were targeting journalists and said it was "more likely" that someone was trying to target police.

"We'll have the opportunity throughout Wednesday to do the analysis in working to investigate what is the attempted murder of the journalist, or indeed whoever was the intended target," he said.

Meanwhile, a DUP MLA for East Belfast Sammy Douglas has said that the rioting was very bad news for NI.

Commenting on the first night's trouble, he said: "During Monday people right across Northern Ireland were celebrating the amazing success of Rory McIlroy [in the US Open] and able to celebrate our Province being in the headlines right across the world for positive reasons.

"I am dejected however, having witnessed personally some of the worst rioting in East Belfast for many years coming so soon afterwards.

"People on both sides of the Short Strand/Newtownards Road interface have had their homes wrecked and people have been hospitalised as a result of their injuries. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who were affected by this trouble and I know that the majority of people on both sides do not want this to happen again.

"It is only down to good fortune that we are not dealing with the aftermath of a death in the area and the presence of gunmen on the streets is a very dark reminder of days which no-one wants to return.

"Our peace in Northern Ireland is fragile and many will feel that our hopes for an East Belfast at peace with itself have been put on hold by this violence.

"We will continue to work with everyone living in that community however to ensure that everyone's hopes for a better future can be realised," concluded the well know community representative, who comes originally from the UDA stronghold of Sandy Row, in south Belfast.

According to the PSNI both nights' violence was orchestrated by the other main loyalist paramilitary group, the UVF.

(BMcC)