Belfast: Scottish police sent to help quell riots

Villiers: condemned rioting. Picture: Getty

The move brings to around 150 the number of Scottish officers sent over as part of 1,000 from Britain.

Two English officers are understood to have been among 32 police injured in Friday night’s violence, which was condemned by police chiefs as “shameful and disgraceful”.

A total of 22 people were arrested after tensions surrounding the traditional 12 July commemorations spiralled into disorder. Police had attempted to enforce a decision banning a controversial Orange Order parade from passing the republican Ardoyne area.

The rioting spread to east Belfast during six hours of violence. Democratic Unionist Party MP for North Belfast Nigel Dodds was taken to hospital after being struck in the head by a brick.

The Scottish Police Federation, which provided the Scottish officers involved, expressed fears that its members would be regularly required to assist the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Chairman Brian Docherty said: “We are supportive of providing emergency help, but are concerned about the political and financial implications, such as the resilience of the PSNI to deal with the situation. We hope it’s not going to be the norm.”

Docherty said he expected the officers to return to Scotland in the middle of this week, but that they would have to stay as long as they were needed.

He added that further officers were unlikely to be sent from Scotland because no others have received the specialist public order training required for service in Northern Ireland.

The Orange Order had originally called for protests against the determination of the Parades Commission adjudication body but, in the wake of the violence, senior Orangemen called for protest action to be suspended.

PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott said: “The scenes were both shameful and disgraceful. We said that we were resolved to uphold the rule of law and the Parades Commission determination not to allow the return parade past the Ardoyne shop fronts.

“We did that. We did so impartially. We did so firmly.

“I cannot praise highly enough the courage, the professionalism and the restraint of my PSNI colleagues, and those from England, Wales and Scotland who joined us in making sure the rule of law was upheld.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said: “I utterly condemn the rioting that took place in Belfast.

“Attacks on the police are completely unacceptable and there can be no justification for this kind of behaviour.

“This sort of behaviour does nothing to promote ‘Britishness’ or the pro-Union cause.

“Rather it undermines it in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of people here in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the UK.”