A petrol bomb attack in north Belfast in which a house was destroyed has been described as unprovoked sectarian violence by police.

Seven other houses were damaged after a crowd of loyalists attacked Catholic homes in the Ligoniel area.

The police are also investigating reports that shots were fired during the attack.

One person was arrested but later released. No-one was seriously injured.

Police Inspector Victor Stitt said: "This was an unprovoked sectarian attack. There are people who are very frightened. This is disgraceful".

They came to a standstill and crowds of youths appeared from the dark

Ambulance officer

Two paramedics were injured when they were attacked on their way to Ligoniel by gangs of stone-throwing youths.

One of the ambulance crew members suffered head injuries when a brick was thrown through a side window.

Dozens of ambulance crews held a protest outside Belfast City Hall on Friday afternoon.

Emergency calls were still answered while the protest took place, but the crews said they wanted to show the public how angry they were at what was a continuing problem.

Earlier, the Mater Hospital in Belfast said one injured ambulance worker was admitted for observation but was expected to be discharged on Friday.

A second had glass splinters removed from his eyes after the windows of his ambulance were smashed.

An officer with the ambulance service said the attack, in the north of the city on Thursday night, was one of the "nastiest" he had ever seen.

Martin Morgan: Condemned attacks

Police, fire crews and ambulances were called to the Ligoniel Road shortly after 2300 BST, to reports of youths throwing stones and other missiles at houses.

The officer from the ambulance service said: "They came to a standstill and crowds of youths appeared from the dark.

"The ambulance man in the passenger seat of the first vehicle was knocked unconscious as he was hit on the head by a brick which came through the side window.

"His colleague managed to drive away to safety and drag him through to the back of the ambulance to treat him."

Other ambulance crew members received treatment for shock.

Several residents, including a number of children, were treated at the scene after being injured when their homes were attacked.

'Traumatic'

Politicians in north Belfast have condemned the attacks on the homes.

Martin Morgan, SDLP councillor for the area, said it was obvious the attacks were not spontaneous.

"It was clearly a carefully planned and concerted attack designed both to injure and intimidate the area's residents."

We could have had somebody killed in this district last night

Eoin O'Broin Sinn Fein

Democratic Unionist councillor Nelson McCausland said: "All attacks on homes are wrong. They are also traumatic for the people who suffer and I can sympathise with them."

Sinn Fein councillor Eoin O'Broin said the attack was an attempt to kill.

"You have houses of pensioners attacked, you have houses with young kids attacked, we could have had somebody killed in this district last night," he said.

"Ligoneil is a quiet area, people don't bother with anybody and this attack, clearly by loyalist paramilitaries, was completely unprovoked."

Meanwhile, police are also investigating an attack on homes on the Deerpark Road in the Cliftonville area of north Belfast on Thursday night.

Three houses had their front windows smashed with bricks and stones.