Sixteen soldiers have been injured and plastic bullets fired during another night of disturbances in east Belfast.

Trouble flared between Protestants in Cluan Place and their Catholic neighbours in Short Strand shortly after 2200 BST on Wednesday.

Short Strand residents later displayed part of a pipe bomb, one of four they say were thrown into their area during the clashes.

Fireworks were also used to attack nationalist homes, with one device punching a hole in a roof of a house.

Residents put pipe bomb remains on display

Several petrol bombs were also thrown at houses in Cluan Place.

People there displayed parts of a pipe bomb they said had been thrown from Short Strand.

In the early hours of Thursday, soldiers fired 17 baton rounds during a fresh outbreak of disturbances.

The wife of a unionist councillor, Sonia Copeland, in the area to log incidents, was treated by soldiers after she was hit on the head with a caustic substance which burned her.

Cameras call

The trouble came hours after Ulster Unionist leader and Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble visited the area.

Mr Trimble also had talks with Police Service Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn on Wednesday about continuing sectarian violence in east Belfast and in the north of the city.

He said the police needed to be given more resources to stop the trouble.

"After so long, the police still haven't got on top of the situation," he said.

After so many months they should have had CCTV here some time ago

David Trimble First Minister

"I would like to know why we don't have CCTV here yet.

"CCTV was deployed with considerable success in policing terms at Drumcree.

"A significant number of people have been arrested and charged and I would have thought after so many months they should have had CCTV here some time ago."

Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan, leader of the nationalist SDLP, had separate talks with trade unionists about the situation.

Stones and fireworks were thrown over both sides of the interface between Short Strand and Cluan Place on Tuesday night.

The police said two people were taken to hospital after an acid bomb was thrown from the mainly nationalist Clandeboye Drive into the mainly loyalist Cluan Place.

Petrol bombs

Last week, nine police officers were injured during violence at the interface.

Trouble broke out on the Albertbridge Road and Cluan Place area when police came under attack from loyalists.

Masked men threw petrol bombs at the security forces and 27 plastic bullets were fired by security forces.

There has been continuing sectarian violence at interface areas for several months.

The government has been urged to step in and put an end to the violence.

Politicians on both sides of the divide have warned that the on-going bitter clashes will end in tragedy.