British loyalsits attack police in Northern Ireland

Up to 100 pro-British loyalists attacked police officers with bricks and petrol bombs and hijacked a number of vehicles in the Northern Irish town of Newtownabbey today. A local councillor said the attacks stemmed from recent raids in the town which were carried out against suspected members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a pro-British deathsquad.

Following the ceasefires of the late 90's, loyalist groups have frequently become involved in organised crime, including drug dealing. Today's raids are believed to have been drugs related.

British loyalists in Northern Ireland have been unhappy with recent changes in the police force following the peace agreement of 1998 which required the service to recruit 50% of it's new officers from the Irish Nationalist community. Until 1998 over 93% of Police officers came from the British loyalist community.

The agreement has also resulted in responsibility for Policing and Justice being transferred from the British government in London to the local government in Belfast.

There has also been unease amongst the loyalist population in Northern Ireland following European elections earlier in the year which saw Sinn Féin, an Irish Republican Army (IRA) linked pro-Irish political party become the first ever Irish Nationalist party to top an election since the Northern Irish state was founded almost 90 years ago.

Sources: BBC News, Irish News, UTV