Children 'face being hurt' in school dispute

Children involved in the long-running dispute at Holy Cross Primary School in Northern Ireland will get hurt unless the loyalist…

Children involved in the long-running dispute at Holy Cross Primary School in Northern Ireland will get hurt unless the loyalist protests end, it was claimed today.

Fr Aidan Troy, chairman of the board of governors at the Holy Cross, said today it was inevitable a child would be hurt if the demonstration continued.

"It is my heartfelt prayer if there is anything anyone can do today to engage in talks, we have got to stop this before there is a tragedy".

With the protest against Catholic parents taking their children to school in its third week, Protestant residents whistled and jeered as riot police and troops escorted pupils and their relatives to the classrooms this morning.

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But today's action passed without serious trouble amid fears the protests would escalate in the Protestant Glenbryn and neighbouring Catholic Ardoyne areas.

The latest protest was staged as six men and a juvenile prepared for court appearances in the city to face public order charges linked to the demonstrations.

Angered by the charging of the six men and juvenile, the Protestant residents claimed the RUC had undermined their efforts to negotiate a settlement and ruled out direct involvement in any further talks.

Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Kelly said: "The way through this is through dialogue. People who say they will not talk are taking absolutely the wrong stance, it is a DUP stance and it gets nowhere".

PA