Loyalists blamed for pipebomb attacks

Loyalists are being blamed for two more pipebomb attacks in the North. Minor damage was caused when a device was thrown at a Catholic chapel near Newtown Stewart in County Tyrone. A pipebomb was also thrown at a house belonging to a Catholic family in Coleraine in County Derry but failed to explode.

British Army bomb experts made safe the Derry pipebomb. It was found on the doorstep of the Kylemore Road house. A relative visiting the family picked it up before realising what it was. Over 20 families in the street were evacuated from their homes while the bomb was made safe.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, has appealed to community leaders to unite in calling for an end to the recent violence in the city. Bishop Walsh was speaking after seeing for himself the damage caused in some of the recent violence in Belfast.

The pensioners' homes in the Nationalist Short Strand enclave in the East of the city were attacked with petrol bombs early on Monday morning and some residents have already moved out. They have experienced trouble every July but say this month it has been worse than previous occasions and blame Loyalists living close by.

St Matthew's chapel where Dr Walsh came to celebrate mass was also attacked with paint and petrol bombs. Referring also to the gun attack by Loyalists on a children's playgroup in North Belfast, the Bishop condemned those who had engaged in what he said were despicable acts of hatred.

He called for an end to the violence and sympathised with all who had suffered in the past week including the policemen injured during rioting in Ardoyne. He praised those community leaders who had come together to try to end the street disorder and said that it was disturbing that in some cases young children had become involved.