Blast bomb injures four police officers escorting schoolchildren

Four RUC officers were injured when a blast bomb was thrown at the human security shield protecting school children on their way to Holy Cross Girls Primary School.

Widely condemned by all sections of the community, the blast bomb attack came as dissident loyalist terror group the Red Hand Defenders followed through with their threat to take action against parents and children attending the Catholic primary school which is adjacent to a mainly Protestant area of Ardoyne in North Belfast.

On Wednesday morning, prior to the attack, parents of the schoolchildren had held a brief meeting to debate whether or not to proceed along the Ardoyne Road to the primary school.

The first sign of trouble developed as the tightly packed group, shielded for the third day by police in riot gear, came under a barrage of bricks and other missiles as they passed by the end of loyalist Glenbryn Parade.

The barrage included a blast bomb thrown from behind loyalist lines. It exploded close to the party of schoolchildren injuring four police officers caught in the blast. Amid scenes of panic screaming schoolchildren fled along the Ardoyne Road towards their primary school where horrified parents and teachers attempted to reassure the terrified children.

The injured police officers were taken by ambulance to hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be serious.

Police have arrested three men in connection with the incident.

Loyalist representative, Ulster Democratic Party spokesperson for the area, John White, was among the first to condemn the attack. He said: “It is absolutely ridiculous that anything should be thrown at the children.” Mr White said that women standing at the street corner had shouted at people who were throwing missiles to stop and that police had then moved in to try to stop them.

Democratic Unionist MP for North Down Nigel Dodds said it was “totally unacceptable” that any missiles or blast bombs should be thrown at police lines.

He said that the residents in Glenbryn were shocked at the deplorable attack.

But Mr Dodds said that the heavy security operation had served to heighten tension in the area.

Progressive Unionist Party assembly member for the area Billy Hutchinson expressed his anger at the attack for which he said there was no justification.

He described the attack as a “total disgrace” and left him ashamed to be called a loyalist.

He said the protest by loyalists may as well be called off and added that he no longer wanted to be associated with the protest as no one would or could now be expected to understand the issues as stake. (SP)