Man arrested following second night of disorder in South Belfast

Rebecca Black (PA)

A man has been arrested after police came under attack for a second night in south Belfast.

The arrest of the 38-year-old came after the incident in the Broadway area.

Police came under attack with petrol bombs, paint and bottles by a crowd of an estimated 40 young people, described as being in their “early teens”.

A number of roads in the area were closed during the disorder on Tuesday evening.

Members of the public and motorists in the area on Wednesday morning were urged to exercise caution because of rubble on the streets.

Chief Superintendent Jeremy Lindsay, the PSNI’s district commander for Belfast, said no injuries have been reported.

“Once again we are thankful that no police officers or members of the public were injured, however, we must be clear, this disorder, which lasted into the early hours of this morning, is completely unacceptable,” he said.

“We estimate that around 40 people, most of whom were young teens, were involved and I would urge those young people, and their parents or guardians, to really take time to think about what the consequences of this behaviour could be. The implications for your future could be immense.”

He said local officers will continue to patrol the area on Wednesday night, and police will also continue to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to prevent further disorder and disruption.

“I would encourage local people to report any and all incidents of antisocial behaviour – the more we know, the more we can do to support people and take positive action. Please call us on 101 or 999 in an emergency,” he added.