Ormeau Parade called off

Mondays' loyalist Apprentice Boys marches have been called off due to the Foot and Mouth crisis. The Protestant Apprentice Boys of Derry made the decision following confirmation of the second outbreak of the livestock disease.

The decision will affect the organisation's main parade which takes place in Limavady, Co. Derry.

All so-called feeder marches to the main parade have also been cancelled.

These include the contentious march along the strongly-nationalist Ormeau Road which has also been has also been called off.

The cancellations come as fears of violence heightened after the Parades Commission gave the go-ahead to the Apprentice Boys to march down the Ormeau Road.

Nationalist residents in the area strongly objected to the Commission's ruling and tried to block the march in the courts,but failed to convince three Appeal Court judges in Belfast to overturn the ruling.

Protests had been planned for the day amid calls for calm from politicians and clergy. The RUC announced yesterday there would be a heavy police presence in the area for the parade.