A female police officer was injured and a police station was attacked by a loyalist mob with petrol bombs during rioting in west Belfast last night.
Two men were arrested after the policewoman was taken to hospital with an arm injury after disturbances in the loyalist Ballygomartin Road area.
Violence apparently erupted after police intervened to keep rival factions apart.
Up to five petrol bombs were then thrown at police in the nearby Springmartin Road area.
Police reinforcements were called in before six petrol bombs were thrown at New Barnsley Police Station by a crowd outside. A number of police vehicles were also attacked.
A police spokeswoman later said the loyalist mob tried to enter the police station via its gates after surrounding it for a period.
Independent Unionist councillor Frank McCoubrey accused the police of being heavy handed during the clashes. He said there had been simmering tensions along the peaceline separating Protestant and Catholic areas for the last few days but officers only moved into the loyalist Springmartin estate.
"All this could have been avoided if the police had listened to us and acted earlier or if nationalist representatives had talked to us earlier in the week," he said.
PA