Nationalists and loyalists clash in Belfast

The RUC has intervened to seperate rival nationalist and loyalist gangs in east Belfast which have been fighting since 4.30 this morning.

An RUC spokesman said the "serious public order situation" at a T-junction in the Mount Pottinger area of east Belfast had now calmed with only sporadic stone throwing and fighting.

The trouble began at the junction of Thistle Court, Madrid Street and Bryson St.

The spokesman told ireland.comthe junction is an "interface" between nationalist and loyalist gangs.

He said their had been trouble in the area for years but it had been "bubling under the surface for a number of weeks".

He added that their had been a number of injuries, but could not at this stage say if they were serious. A number of houses and cars have been damaged.

The area is just yards from where three Australian tourists were viciously beaten with iron bars by a 20-strong gang yesterday.

One of the victims was taken to hospital for plastic surgery on serious ear injuries sustained during the attack.

Mr David Ervine of Progressive Unionist Party, accused Catholics of refusing to allow Protestants in the area to live in peace.

"It's horrendous, these are attacks being orchestrated within the nationalist community," he claimed.

Short Strand Sinn Féin representative Mr Joe O'Donnell insisted loyalists hurling stones and bottles from the Thistle Court side of the interface had caused the trouble.

"Homes in the Short Strand came under attack and people go out to defend their property and it led to this," he claimed.

However the RUC insisted today: "Each side is as bad as the other".