Sir Ronnie Flanagan: Call for calm

Sir Ronnie said the majority of people who lived in the area would be relieved there had been no repeat of the earlier violence.

"They have been plagued by violence over the last couple of nights which is what the vast bulk of people up here don't want.

"I said on Friday morning that I hoped people would look at the scene, step back from it, and realise that it serves no purpose whatsoever.

"I am thankful that is what happened last night and I am confident it will prevail and people will see sense."

Meanwhile, a loyalist residents group in north Belfast has drawn up a plan aimed at defusing the tension which spilled over into violence this week.

A spokesman for the Greater Glenbryn Initiative said the blueprint included proposals for a community forum.

Gunman fired shots

Earlier on Friday evening, the police started an investigation into reports that a masked gunman emerged from a crowd in north Belfast and fired six shots into the air.

The shooting incident took place while a crowd was standing in the Hopewell Crescent area of the loyalist Shankill Road. There were no reports of injuries.

The police said petrol and bottles were seized in the loyalist Glenbryn Parade area of north Belfast.

On Friday meetings took place between rival sides at the centre of the dispute in north Belfast aimed at bringing the bitter dispute to an end.

A loyalist group, calling itself the Concerned Residents of Upper Ardoyne, issued a set of proposals to nationalist residents.

Click here to see a map of the flashpoint area

A public meeting unanimously backed an end to the street protests that have led to Protestant families leaving their homes and Catholic children belonging to Holy Cross Primary School being prevented from going to school through the loyalist Glenbryn area.

We would appeal to the nationalist community to accept this opportunity to bring the current problems to an immediate end

Concerned Residents of Upper Ardoyne

In a statement, the group called for public statements from both communities calling for an immediate end to all protests.

It also urged the setting up of a community forum to reach a resolution before the start of the new school year.

The statement read: "We would appeal to the nationalist community to accept this opportunity to bring the current problems to an immediate end and to create the space required to reach a workable resolution."

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