| Belfast rioting 'worst for 20 years' |
Rioting on the streets of North Belfast is the worst seen in the city for 20 years, according to an RUC police chief.
Another night of sectarian clashes has left 14 RUC officers injured - four in a blast bombing.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan says the riots are worse than the worst at Drumcree two to three years ago.
He said: "Some of the rioting we have seen in north Belfast this summer is the worst we have seen in Belfast since the hunger strikes, that is the level of ferocity, the level of violence, we are dealing with.
"It is the fact that it is continuing all the time, and it is the level of violence and frequency of attacks, the number of people involved and the extent to which petrol bombs and blast bombs are being used."
More than 300 officers have been injured during the weeks of clashes and Mr McQuillan said : "It is a major and constant drain on us."
Police carrying out searches in the wake of the latest outburst of conflict between nationalists and republicans have recovered the remains of five exploded pipe bombs. A further three unexploded bombs were discovered and made safe by the army.
As searches continued in the area the RUC urged anyone who found anything suspicious not to touch it.
During a night of trouble stones, bottles and fireworks were also thrown when rival factions totalling around 200 gathered in the Limestone Road area.
The situation worsened when blast bombs were thrown and shots fired - a 19-year-old woman claimed to have been hit in the leg by a bullet fired by loyalists.
Windows in houses in the nationalist Newington area were smashed during clashes with loyalist gangs from the Tiger's Bay area. Both sides accused the other of starting the violence, which followed earlier gun and pipe bomb attacks in the city.
Story filed: 18:34 Monday 24th September 2001
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