Ardoyne blockade quieter despite loyalist death threats

Catholic parents and children left Holy Cross Primary school in north Belfast this evening and walked down the Ardoyne Road - shielded by RUC and the British army - without major incident.

AT A GLANCE Situation quieter today Parents receive death threats Parents to protest tomorrow Adams offers to meet unionists

However, it emerged earlier a number of parents have received death threats from the loyalist Red Hand Defenders.

Loyalist demonstrators blew horns and whistles as the children and parents walked down the corridor on the Ardoyne Road set up by British security forces. but the violence seen earlier this week was not repeated.

Protestant school girls blow whistles as Catholic children pass on their way to school.

But the parents of some of the Holy Cross pupils claimed today they were threatened by the Red Hand Defenders - a cover name often used by the UDA and the LVF.

The Red Hand Defenders group is believed to have threatened Ms Philomena Flood and two other members of the Right To Education Group. Ms Flood said she would be keeping her seven-year-old daughter Eirinn from Holy Cross because of the threat.

But the same parents' group announced plans for a peaceful rally in Ardoyne tomorrow and called on people from across Belfast to attend.

In a brief statement the Right to Education Group urged "all religious leaders in Ireland to come and escort the children and parents of the Holy Cross Primary School to their place of education on the Ardoyne Road.

"We also call on all the leaders of all political parties in the north [of Ireland] to have discussions with the parents on how to get our children to school safely.

"Finally, we are calling for people in Belfast to attend a peaceful demonstration supporting the basic human rights of our children on Friday at the lower Ardoyne Road at 9.30 a.m".

The Ardoyne dispute was discussed by the Northern Ireland Assembly's education committee today at its first meeting at Stormont since the summer recess. In a statement on behalf of the committee, its Ulster Unionist chairman Mr Danny Kennedy described events outside the Holy Cross school as "appalling".

Earlier PUP member Mr Billy Hutchinson, said residents were more in control of the situation. DUP Assembly member Mr Nigel Dodds urged the parents to take the alternative route through a Catholic boys secondary school to allow a breathing space for talks to take place.

Northern Secretary Dr John Reid was to arrive in the North today having cut short his holiday yesterday after the loyalist pipe bomb attack.

additional reporting PA