There was further pressure on the British government last night to face down republicans over street violence. It came after a rural police station in Northern Ireland came under attack from masked youths.
Around 40 to 50 youths threw stones and bottles at the station in Rosslea, Co Fermanagh, around lunchtime in an incident police were linking to a visit by Sinn Féin's youth wing.
The attack was condemned by the local police commander, Chief Supt Gerry O'Callaghan: "This incident added nothing to the debate on the future of community policing and the potential closure of community stations."
UUP honorary secretary Ms Arlene Foster said after yesterday's incident the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, had to "decide if he is going to stand up for law and order and honour the promise he made in 1998 to remove those who still use violence from the government of Northern Ireland.
"I think we were lucky that no one was injured, but I have to say this sort of incident is in keeping with what is going on in the streets of Belfast. The time is coming when the British government is really going to have to stand up to republican disorder on our streets by tackling Sinn Féin."
The violence in Rosslea came on the back of clashes yesterday between nationalists and police after an Orange parade in west Belfast.
There were also disturbances in the early hours of yesterday between nationalists and police in the Short Strand area of east Belfast and with loyalists.
Meanwhile, headstones at Catholic graves at Carnmoney cemetery on the outskirts of Newtownabbey have been smashed in the second such act of sectarian vandalism at the cemetery in the past two weeks. A total of 27 graves were damaged in the early hours of Saturday morning. Two weeks ago 10 headstones were smashed.
Father Dan White, from St Mary's on the Hill Catholic Church in Glengormley, said such desecration was almost beyond belief.
Local SDLP councillor Ms Noreen McClelland said security must be stepped up at the cemetery. There have also been calls for closed circuit TV monitoring of the cemetery.