Bombs, bottles and bricks injure officers on PSNI duty

MORE than 70 police officers have been injured in four days of public disorder across Belfast.

Bombs, bottles, bricks and masonry were among the missiles thrown at officers as they attempted to keep the peace in Northern Ireland. Fireworks and golf balls were also said to be thrown at police, who in some instances. The violence began on Friday (12 July) after members of the Orange Order were prevented from walking along a stretch of road which passes a nationalist area of north Belfast.

Further violent clashes broke out on the following Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Hundreds more mutual aid officers are expected to be drafted in this week. Initially around 630 officers went over to Northern Ireland, followed by around 400 more after the initial outbreak of violence on Friday.

A number of the officers were said to be taken to hospital with suspected broken bones, and head and neck injuries after being attacked. Two officers were said to be treated for heat exhaustion after spending long shifts wearing heavy protective equipment in the warm weather. One officer was said to have been hit in the face with a petrol bomb but brushed himself off and stayed on duty.

A further 27 officers were injured last night as they dealt with more public disorder. In east Belfast, at least six blast bombs – homemade devices packed with explosives – were thrown at police.

So far there have been 60 arrests linked to public disorder and 30 people have been charged. One attacker was even said to be wielding a ceremonial sword.

Many community leaders have condemned the violence, while the Chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Terry Spence, expressed his appreciation for the contribution of colleagues from Scotland, England and Wales.

“These officers demonstrated great courage and professional commitment in volunteering to assist their federated colleagues in the PSNI to deal with major public disorder on a magnitude and degree of viciousness they would rarely have seen,” he said.

However, Mr Spence has repeatedly stated that his force is dangerously under-resourced and that mutual aid assistance should not be a regular occurrence.

Mutual aid personnel deploying to Northern Ireland all served on the recent G8 operation and received a two-day training package run by PSNI instructors. They had been held in reserve but were required as the violence intensified.