Simon Byrne condemns ‘thuggery’ as he vows to put loyalists on the back foot

At one stage only six officers faced a group of around 50 masked people in Pitt Park off the Newtownards Road on Tuesday.

It is believed the force thwarted an attempted attack on a house in the area.

PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne said: “We are the people that police east Belfast.

“We have stepped up resources, we will work with the community to see can we identify people.

“There is no place for thuggery and intimidation and we want to keep these people on the back foot while we remain on the front foot.”

The UVF has been linked to the incident.

Scores of men wearing face coverings and hoods or hats to conceal their identity were seen in the area in a video circulated on social media.

A small number of police officers were seen in the video.

Policing Board member Gerry Kelly, Sinn Fein’s Assembly member, has said police attended the scene while the group was still roaming the community and made minimal efforts to intervene.

Mr Byrne briefed the Policing Board on Thursday.

He added that his officers has reacted in a fast-moving and spontaneous fashion after receiving information.

Numbers of police escalated from an initial two neighbourhood officers to include an inspector who took charge of the operation.

Mr Byrne said: “We are following up lines of inquiry to identify and bring to book those people.”

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has said the local community was living in fear.

Sinn Fein West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said he was concerned by the footage.