Businesses count cost of violence
A COMMUNITY worker in east Belfast has condemned nationalist youths who damaged property in the Ravenhill Road area on St Patrick's Day.
Speaking as staff at the Laganside Inn and Ravenhill Business Park assessed the damage to their premises, Ian McClean, chairman of the Bridge Community Association, said he was sickened at the latest "incursion" into the lower Ravenhill area.
"This is latest in a series of attacks by young lads wearing Celtic tops from the Short Strand or the Markets and coming up the road almost as far as the houses in Ballarat Street," he said.
"The residents in the first few streets along from where this is going on are now worried that the houses will be attacked next.
"They fairly damaged the property along the road and then attacked the local people who came out to stop them, so everyone is worried about it."
Mr McClean called on community representatives in the Short Strand to be more proactive in stopping the attacks and added: "We are doing everything we can on this side of the road to calm things down but we can only do so much when people are being attacked in their own streets."
The Laganside Inn suffered an estimated 1,000 worth of damage, including five broken windows, during the attack.
Councillor Michael Copeland, who visited the scene, also spoke of his despair at the ongoing problems.
"I am aware that community representatives on the unionist side have been doing their best to prevent incidents but there is difficulty getting the nationalist representatives to deliver on their side. The citizens of the Ravenhill Road should be left in peace to enjoy their leisure hours."
Niall O Donnghaile, of Sinn Fein, condemned those involved in the incident as not representing anyone from the Short Strand. He added: "Community representatives can only do so much and a big responsibility lies with parents as most of these children are very young."
A spokesperson for the PSNI confirmed they were investigating an incident on the Ravenhill Road on Wednesday evening, saying: "A crowd of youths had gathered and when police arrived they were attacked with missiles.
"The crowd dispersed but there was damage noted to a nearby premises which had some windows smashed. There were no reports of any injuries."
The police spokesperson also confirmed that a sectarian motive was one line of inquiry.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 14 February 2012
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Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
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