Police fire plastic bullets at mobs

Sectarian riots erupted in Belfast again last night as security forces came under attack from both loyalist and republican mobs.

Both sides pelted police and soldiers with bricks, bottles and at least one blast bomb as they tried to keep rival factions apart on the New Lodge area of north Belfast.

The trouble started after reports that pipe bombs had been thrown across the peace wall into Catholic homes.

Mobs of 200 appeared on the streets and police and soldiers were forced to fire plastic bullets to drive them off. Three police officers were injured.

This is the start of the notoriously dangerous Ulster marching season and there are now fears of another summer of violence.

A senior police officer said last night: "We have had almost nightly violence in this area for the past year but it had calmed down recently. The fact that it has flared up again is a very bad sign."