Violence breaks out in Northern Ireland again as masked loyalists march in streets

PSNI Chief Superintendent Davy Beck says attacks in recent days have been ‘clearly orchestrated’

A car burns on Sperrin Park, Waterside, Derry (PA)

A car was set ablaze and fires used to block roads in Northern Ireland on Monday evening during a fourth consecutive night of violence.

Disorder broke out in Carrickfergus, near Belfast, while riot police and fire crews were dispatched to deal with a burning vehicle in the Sperrin Park area of Derry.

Both locations have been the scene of unrest among the loyalist communities in recent days.

Earlier, the PSNI had appealed to community leaders to put a stop to the disorder that has taken place throughout much of the last week.

Throughout Monday afternoon, masked loyalist bands marched through the streets in towns across Northern Ireland, including Portadown, Ballymena and Markethill.

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The PSNI is investigating those marches, which appear not to have been notified to the Parades Commission.

It follows a turbulent week of events in Northern Ireland, as loyalist tensions spilt over into violence.

Five police officers sustained injuries after being pelted with petrol bombs and masonry in Belfast on Sunday night.

It brings the total number of police injured in incidents in Londonderry and Belfast over the Easter weekend to 32.

Petrol bombs were thrown at PSNI officers and bins and pallets set on fire in disturbing scenes in Belfast and Derry in recent days.

Speaking earlier on Monday, PSNI Chief Superintendent Davy Beck said police stand ready for another night of unrest, but urged community leaders to put a stop to it.

PSNI Tactical Support Group officers in attendance at the loyalist Nelson Drive estate in the Waterside of Derry City, Co. Londonderry, during a public order incident which saw a car being set alight and surrounding roads being blocked with fires (PA)

He said: "Right now as we speak, my officers are in those areas, they're working hard to provide those police services. Be that in respect of crime, be that in terms of road safety, be that in terms of others concerns in the community.

"We're there and we're doing that. I will have additional resources available to me and we will respond to whatever may develop.

"But there's an opportunity to stop this. This doesn't have to be a third night of trouble in the Cloughfern and Newtownabbey/Carrickfergus area.

"I would encourage people with influence in those communities to put a stop to this."

Chief Supt Davy said the attacks were "clearly orchestrated".

He added: "I believe that there's a small group of disaffected criminal elements that are clearly involved in influencing young people, and I would appeal to young people in those areas not to allow this to happen.

"I think it's also fair to say that there's probably no coincidence to this. We have been successful in that area in respect on some of these criminal gangs.

"So I think that this perhaps has been a reaction from some of those people who are involved in criminality."

Press Association