A 14-year-old boy hit by pipe bomb shrapnel in east Belfast has said he was lucky not to have been seriously injured.

Noel Brady was treated in hospital after being hit on the side of his back by a part of the device after it was thrown into the nationalist Bryson Court.

A 67-year-old man was also slightly injured in the explosion in the Short Strand area.

The teenager said he was with friends at a street corner when they saw the device being thrown. It scattered but a piece of shrapnel hit him in the thigh.

Frankie Gallagher "UDA not involved"

"I saw this thing like a firework coming over so I started to run and I saw a big flash behind me and then something hit me on the backside.

"And I just collapsed to the ground."

The incident followed a night of sporadic violence in the area.

There was regular sectarian street violence at the interface area between the mainly nationalist Short Strand community and the neighbouring loyalist community this summer, but tensions had lessened.

Joe O'Donnell: "Loyalists must stop violence"

Sinn Fein blamed loyalists for carrying out the attack.

Sinn Fein Councillor Joe O'Donnell said: "The leadership of the UDA, the LVF or the Red Hand Commando, or whoever they are, have a responsibility to bring this to an end.

"I don't care about allocating blame."

The police have blamed the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association for much of the recent violence in Belfast.

But Frankie Gallagher, a member of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the UDA, said: "The Ulster Defence Association has assured us that they are no orchestrating any attacks.

"They want to try to create an environment where political progress can be made and restore some stability to the loyalist community."

'Disgraceful attack'

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid condemned it as a "disgraceful attack".

Ulster Unionist assembly member, Sir Reg Empey, condemned those involved in the latest disturbances.

"Those who engage in sporadic violence are putting lives at risk and causing distress and misery to many in the community," he said.

"We have been working hard to try and resolve the difficulties that exist in the area and I would appeal to everyone to remain calm at this time."

Alliance councillor Naomi Long said it was only a matter of time before a child was killed if violence continued in the area.

"Those behind this pipe bombing are guilty of political child abuse, and it is inevitable that children will be more seriously hurt or killed if the trouble in east Belfast continues," she said.