THREE TEENAGE BOYS have been charged with public order offences by police in Northern Ireland.
Police in Newtownabbey, a suburb north of Belfast city centre, say that two 13-year-old boys and one 14-year-old boy have been charged with public order offences including riot, riotous behaviour and criminal damage.
They were arrested following disorder on the O’Neill Road in Newtownabbey last night and will appear before Belfast Youth Court tomorrow.
Separately a police officer who was injured during clashes between loyalists and police in east Belfast on Saturday has been discharged from hospital.
There had been a peaceful protest of up to 2,000 people at Belfast City Hall yesterday amid ongoing unrest following the decision by the local authority to restrict the flying of the Union flag at City Hall, BBC News reports.
In addition to the teenage boys’ court appearance, several men and another teenager, aged 17, are due to appear before the courts in Belfast tomorrow or in the new year in connection with public order offences.
The Belfast Christmas Market had to close for a time during yesterday’s rally while there was also trouble on Newtownards Road area in the east of the city.
Bricks and other missiles were thrown at police and a car was set on fire. An attempt was also made to hijack a bus on the Castlereagh Street area of the city.
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