School reopens calmly after night of violence

A temporary calm returned to the Ardoyne Road in North Belfast as Catholic parents and children walked peacefully to Holy Cross primary school.

There was no sign of a resumption of the protest by Loyalist residents as the Catholic girls school reopened after serious rioting erupted on the streets earlier this week.

First to arrive at the school was Tracy McLaughlin with her two daughters Megan and Sarah Jane who walked the 400 yards past a small knot of residents and police officers.

There was a heavy security presence on the road as the parents made their way to the school.

The peaceful atmosphere followed a second night of street violence in North Belfast in which more than 30 police officers were injured and 11 people arrested.

Brendan Mailey, of the Catholic Right to Education Group, welcomed the absence of a protest and said this could do much to help restore order on the streets.

"We need the Glenbryn residents to tell any stragglers to get off the road and let people go up in peace. That will help enormously to diffuse the situation," he said.

Anne Bill, spokeswoman for the Loyalist Concerned Residents of Upper Ardoyne called for the setting up of the proposed community forum to help restore order to the area.

"I think people hear are feeling pretty tense that this whole thing has flared up again but they are really positive that there will be no resumption of the protest."