Connors Family Found Guilty Of Forced Labour

Five members of the same traveller family who made their staff perform humiliating tasks have been found guilty of forced labour.

William Connors, 52, his wife Mary, 48, their sons John, 29, and James, 20, and their son-in-law Miles Connors, 24, were all convicted of conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour between April 2010 and March 2011.

Bristol Crown Court heard how the Connors would pick up the men - many of whom were homeless or drug addicts - to work for them as labourers.

Jurors were told the victims lived in squalid caravans on traveller sites as they moved around the country working on the Connors' paving and patio businesses.

Prosecutors said the men were paid as little as £5 a day for their work, which included emptying the buckets used as toilets by their bosses, and were forced to scavenge from dustbins for food.

The inside of a caravan occupied by two people who worked for the Connors

Some workers were beaten with broom handles, belts, a rake and a shovel, and one had a hosepipe forced down his throat, it was claimed.

By contrast, the court heard, their employers lived in large, well-equipped caravans, enjoyed holidays in Dubai, Mexico and the Caribbean and drove luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes A-Class and a Mini convertible.

Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC said: "It was a clear and unequivocal demonstration of control and dominance of one set - the family - over another.

"If you compare and contrast the lifestyles of the workers and bosses it is like comparing a Maserati with a clapped-out Zephyr."

Police began investigating the Connors following the discovery of a worker's decomposed body in a garden shed close to one of the family's caravan sites.

A fellow worker contacted officers in 2009 to say he had been recruited by William and Mary while living on the streets of Cheltenham.

He told detectives he had his identity documents taken from him, was rarely paid, received little food and lived with other workers in the same situation.

When the Connors family was placed under covert surveillance the following year, police recorded evidence of the men being assaulted.

Caravan sites in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire were raided in March 2011 and 19 men were rescued.

The Connors said their workers were "free agents" who were able to come and go as they pleased.

William and Mary insisted they were "good Samaritans" who provided vulnerable people with food, work and accommodation.

All five defendants had faced a second charge of conspiracy to hold another person in servitude but the judge ordered the jury to find them not guilty of that offence.

They are due to be sentenced on Monday.

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Witches Coven: Child Sex Abuse Pair Jailed

Two men have been jailed for a total of 32 years after sexually abusing several children as part of a witches' coven in Cornwall during the 1970s.

Peter Petrauske, 72, and Jack Kemp, 69, were said to have donned ceremonial robes and pagan paraphernalia before abusing young girls.

Police believe one of their victims may have been as young as three.

During the three-week trial at Truro Crown Court, sex abuse victims said they were given money and sweets to buy their silence.

Petrauske, who described himself as the high priest of a white witches' coven in St Ives, Cornwall, was convicted of one count of rape, one count of aiding and abetting an attempt to rape, and one count of indecent assault, all by unanimous verdict.

Kemp was unanimously found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child, as well as seven other sexual offences by a majority verdict.

Jailing Kemp for 14 years and Petrauske for 18, Judge Graham Cottle told them: "The offences range from the extremely serious to the truly horrifying.

"(The trial) has featured ritualistic, sickening abuse of young, young children.

"The scars left are so obvious that it would seem extremely unlikely that either of them have any real prospect of recovery."

The child abuse was only investigated further by police last year when Kemp was arrested in connection with another incident, causing rumours to spread around his home town of Falmouth and prompting the alleged victims of the historic offences to contact detectives.

Petrauske was backed up by female members of the coven who said that, while children were occasionally present, nudity never played a part in the ceremonies.

One female friend also described him as "a gentleman".

Kemp denied any involvement in paganism, saying it "wasn't his cup of tea", and said he was the victim of a bizarre conspiracy.

He said the girls were wrong to name him in the case.

Witnesses also named murdered pagan Peter Solheim and notorious Cornish paedophile Stan Pirie as among their abusers.

Solheim was a 56-year-old parish councillor whose body was found five miles off the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, by fishermen on June 18, 2004. He had been drugged and mutilated with a machete or an axe.

Kemp was cleared of five charges, while Petrauske was also found not guilty of one count.

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Savile Revelations Spark NSPCC Abuse Campaign

The NSPCC has launched a campaign in a bid to prevent people thinking sexual abuse is a problem from the past following the Jimmy Savile abuse revelations.

The children's charity is worried that due to many of Savile's victims being abused in the 1970s and 80s, people may believe sexual abuse is not as common now as it was then.

The charity also fears that people still don't know where to turn for help or that they will hesitate to report child abuse until they feel 100% certain.

Peter Watt, director of the NSPCC helpline, said: "By bravely speaking out, Savile's victims have done a great public service in raising awareness of child sex abuse and its long-lasting, devastating effect on victims.

"Our advert aims to remind people that child abuse remains a widespread problem and children are still abused today.

"To end their suffering and bring their abusers to justice we must all act now. Savile's victims waited decades to be heard and helped. We can't let this happen again.

"With this advert we want to send out a clear message about how vitally important it is to act on your suspicions and that the NSPCC is here to help you do this.

"Our trained counsellors will discuss your concerns and the best course of action."

Some 589 people have come forward with information relating to the Savile scandal, with a total of 450 complaints against the the BBC presenter and DJ himself, mainly alleging sexual abuse, Scotland Yard said.

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Kids At Risk Of Rickets Due To Lack Of Vitamin D

Doctors fear a return of the 19th century disease rickets as the number of children suffering from vitamin D deficiencies increases.

There has been a four-fold increase in the bone disease - which has been relatively uncommon in the UK since the 19th century - over the last 15 years.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said poor intake of vitamin D is also resulting in higher incidences of diabetes, tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis.

Doctors have called for widely available and low-cost supplements and the fortification of foods with vitamin D to stem the problem across the UK.

Professor Mitch Blair, officer for health promotion at the RCPCH, said: "We know vitamin D deficiency is a growing problem - and localised research reveals startlingly high levels of vitamin deficiency amongst certain groups including children.

"People can only get a fraction (10%) of their recommended daily amount of vitamin D through food and very little from sunlight.

"So getting out in the sun more or eating more oily fish isn't going to solve the problem.

"Lack of vitamin D is related to a plethora of serious illnesses in children and adults that could be prevented through relatively simple steps such as taking supplements."

The RCPCH said there needed to be a greater knowledge among healthcare professionals and better public awareness about Vitamin D-related disease.

Vitamin D deficiency is thought to affect a quarter of children across the UK.

:: Rickets is a softening of bones in children due to deficiency or impaired metabolism of vitamin D, phosphorus or calcium, potentially leading to fractures and deformity.

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Victims 'To Get Voice' As Asbos Scrapped

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Victims of anti-social behaviour will get to have a say in how offenders are punished under plans put forward by the Government.

The so-called Community Remedy forms part of draft legislation that could become law in 2014.

The changes, based on a Government white paper published in May, will slim down existing laws, with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) being scrapped on the grounds that they were seen by some offenders as a badge of honour.

Home Office minister Jeremy Browne said victims of anti-social behaviour would be able to have their say on out-of-court punishments of offenders.

"Victims of anti-social behaviour and low level crime often feel powerless," he said.

"Our reforms will place power back in the hands of the people, giving them a proper say in how their local area is policed."

The plans have been welcomed by Joanne Binns, 39, who was driven from her Leeds home six years ago by a gang of youths.

"It was like no matter what I did, they were tormenting me and my family, we couldn't go anywhere, we couldn't sit in our own home," she said.

It took a year to bring some of the offenders to court, by which time she said she had had enough.

"Even in our own home with the curtains closed there were bricks getting thrown, graffiti drawn on our house, it was just a life of hell," she said.

In the six years since then, Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police say they have worked with other agencies to create a more effective system to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Police Superintendent Keith Gilert, the council's chief community safety officer, believes many of the Government's proposals will help them to do even more.

"What we find here in Leeds is that an awful lot of these issues can be dealt with at quite a low level and can be resolved through mediation and negotiation between the parties," he said.

Under the changes, more punishments would be dealt with outside the court system, with police, councils and others working together to create a local 'menu' of ways to deal with offenders.

Victims could be asked whether they want an offender to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract, take part in alcohol or drug treatment, pay compensation or repair damage.

Ms Binns, who now works with her council to improve communities, says she cannot wait for the Bill to be passed.

"With Asbos they can tell them where not to hang around, where not to go, but they can't tell them to go on a drug rehabilitation course," she said.

"With the new Bill we can, so it's going to help perpetrators, but also give the victim a voice, and that's what my main concern is."

The draft legislation is now open to public consultation and will be scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee.

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Royal Prank Call Nurse's Inquest Set To Open

Timeline: Nurse Prank Call Tragedy

Updated: 2:04am UK, Thursday 13 December 2012

Here are some of the key developments surrounding the death of hospital nurse Jacintha Saldanha following a hoax phone call by two Australian radio hosts.

Monday, December 3
The Duchess of Cambridge is admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London with severe morning sickness.

Tuesday, December 4
2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian make their hoax call to the hospital in the early hours of the morning, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha puts them through to a colleague who divulges details of how doctors have been treating the Duchess.

Wednesday, December 5
A King Edward VII's Hospital spokesman confirms the Australian radio station made the prank call, saying it "deplores" the act and is conducting a review of its phone system.

Thursday, December 6
The Duchess of Cambridge leaves hospital.

Friday, December 7
:: Ms Saldanha is pronounced dead at staff accommodation close to the hospital. She is thought to have taken her own life, although a post-mortem examination is yet to be held.

:: King Edward VII's Hospital releases a statement saying: "It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Ms Saldanha. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues."

:: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge send their condolences to Ms Saldanha's family.

Saturday, December 8
:: Ms Saldanha's family in southwest India speak of their heartache. Her mother-in-law, Carmine Barboza, says: "Jacintha was a very caring woman. She used to call us every Sunday without fail. We just cannot believe what has happened."

:: Ms Greig and Mr Christian go on indefinite leave from the radio station after they are bombarded with abusive and threatening messages on social media websites.

::  Lord Glenarthur, chairman of the King Edward VII's Hospital, writes a latter to 2Day FM calling for the "truly appalling" broadcast to "never be repeated".

:: Max Moore-Wilton, chairman of Southern Cross Austereo which owns 2Day FM, describes the events over the past few days as "tragic", but adds: "The outcome was unforeseeable and very regrettable."

Sunday, December 9
:: It emerges Mel Greig and Michael Christian may be questioned by London's Metropolitan Police.

:: Ms Greig and Mr Christian express a desire to speak about the tragedy, but are still in hiding.

:: The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which regulates radio broadcasting, says it is considering whether it should launch an investigation into whether the presenters breached the commercial radio code of practice.

Monday, December 10

:: Mr Christian and Ms Greig break their silence, expressing their regret and sorrow over the tragedy in a series of emotional Australian TV interviews. They insist they never expected their phone call to go so far and thought hospital staff would hang up on them. Both extend sympathy to Ms Saldanha's family.

:: The family pay tribute to a "loving mother and wife". Speaking on their behalf, MP Keith Vaz says: "They are really grateful for the support of the British public and the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness."

Tuesday, December 11

:: A memorial fund for Ms Saldanha's family is set up by the radio station. Parent company Southern Cross Austereo is expected to contribute AUS$500,000 (£326,000).

Wednesday, December 12

:: Sky sources reveal that Ms Saldanha was found hanged in her room at staff accommodation. At Prime Minister's Questions, David Cameron says: "She clearly loved her job, loved her work, cared deeply about the health of her patients, and what's happened is a complete tragedy. There are many lessons that need to be learned."

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Finucane Murder Report Due To Be Published

By Vicki Hawthorne, Ireland Correspondent

A report investigating allegations of collusion in the murder of a prominent solicitor in Northern Ireland will be published later.

The killing of Pat Finucane is one of the most controversial in Northern Ireland's history.

He was shot 14 times by loyalist paramilitary gunmen on February 12, 1989, as he sat eating Sunday dinner at home in Belfast with his family.

When he was killed, Mr Finucane was at the peak of his career. He represented high profile republicans including IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. He was also known for fighting human rights cases. But his work with republicans made him a target.

Since his death there have been widespread claims that the security forces colluded with loyalist terrorists to carry out the murder.

There have been a series of reports over the years which have indicated that collusion did take place.

Canadian judge Peter Cory reviewed a number of controversial killings in Northern Ireland and in 2004 recommended that the Government should hold an inquiry into the Finucane case.

The Finucane family, including his wife Geraldine, have always believed the security forces were involved in his murder. The family have long campaigned for an independent public inquiry.

Instead, last year, David Cameron ordered for a review of the case by QC Desmond de Silva.

The Finucane family await its findings with interest, but whatever it says, the campaign for a public inquiry is likely to continue.

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Weather: Travel Delays As Fog Cancels Flights

Freezing fog has descended on parts of the UK, forcing airports to cancel flights - and more delays are expected.

Heathrow Airport has said more than 20 flights due to take off on Wednesday have been scrapped.

A spokesman said further cancellations were likely as adverse conditions affecting large swathes of the country worsen.

There are also disruptions and cancellations at London City Airport and passengers are being urged to contact airlines to check details.

Cancelled flights include trips to Warsaw, Nice, Stockholm, Aberdeen and several German cities.

Monday night into Tuesday was one of the coldest nights of the year, with the mercury plummeting to as low as minus 10C (14F), with Scotland worst affected.

And after another bitterly cold night, much of the country was expected to wake up to sub-zero temperatures on Wednesday.

Areas including central England, Wales and East Anglia have been hit by fog, which was expected to spread through the night before the weather gets worse on Wednesday.

Motorists are being warned to take care as visibility is reduced to as low as 100 metres, while icy patches are also a risk.

Forecasters expect rain and snow on higher ground. Milder weather is expected later in the week, but rain could lead to local flooding on Friday.

:: Is your area affected by adverse weather? Get in touch here.

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Gay Marriage A 'Disaster' For Tories, Says MP

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Pushing ahead with legislation for gay marriage in church would be "a disaster" for the Conservative party, an MP has warned.

Stewart Jackson, MP for Peterborough, spoke out ahead of Government plans to pave the way for same-sex equality laws that could see gay marriages allowed in church as soon as 2014.

He told Sky News: "I believe this is a mistake. It's a very divisive issue and an unnecessary piece of legislation.

"It is fundamentally an un-Conservative policy and if (Prime Minister David Cameron) presses ahead with this it will be a disaster for the party and the country."

Mr Jackson opposes legislation

When the vote happens next year, MPs are likely to be allowed to decide according to their conscience, rather than their party.

Mr Cameron has promised a change in the law in England and Wales by the next election - May 2015 at the latest.

The news has been widely welcomed by the gay community, with one leading vicar hailing it as "a breakthrough".

Reverend Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: "It has been a real rollercoaster of emotions, but this is brilliant news.

"We are all God's children and he loves us all equally. So why shouldn't I be able to marry the person I love in church?"

She added: "It takes a good year to plan a good wedding so we better get planning."

Mr Cameron is facing fierce criticism from some Tory MPs over the legislation, which is due to be unveiled on Tuesday by Culture Secretary Maria Miller.

As many as 130 backbenchers are tipped to oppose him in the vote.

The measures will grant religious groups which want to stage same-sex civil marriages in places of worship the right to do so, but will offer a guarantee that no institution will be forced to do so.

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Radio Prank Nurse: Post-Mortem Examination Due

A post-mortem examination is due to be held later on the nurse who apparently took her own life after she fell victim to a prank call made to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge.

Tributes have been paid to Jacintha Saldanha, who was found dead on Friday days after she was tricked by two Australian radio hosts who called the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

She transferred the presenters, believing they were the Queen and the Prince of Wales, to a colleague who divulged details about Kate's treatment for severe morning sickness.

Ms Saldanha, 46, from Bristol, was found dead in a block of nurses' flats close to the hospital, where she stayed while working in London.

MP Keith Vaz met her family on Monday and said they had been "devastated" by the loss of a "loving mother and a loving wife".

Flanked by Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Mr Vaz said: "They miss her every moment of every day but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness."

Ms Saldanha's family have been left "devastated" by their loss

Mr Vaz has called for the hospital to provide the family with more support and to hold an inquiry.

His criticism came after the DJs behind the call, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, broke their silence about the nurse's death.

Interviewed on Australian TV networks, the 2Day FM presenters said there had been "a tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected".

A tearful Greig told Today Tonight on Australia's Channel Seven: "There's nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family."

Police in London have contacted their Australian counterparts with a view to interviewing the pair ahead of an inquest into Ms Saldanha's death.

In response to Mr Vaz's criticism the hospital said its chief executive John Lofthouse had spoken to the nurse's husband on Friday by phone and offered to meet him whenever he wanted.

Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2Day FM, has suspended advertising on the Sydney radio station until further notice, ended Greig and Christian's Hot 30 show and suspended prank calls across the company.

Mr Christian and Ms Greig have spoken emotionally about the tragedy

Rhys Holleran, chief executive of the firm, has said the station called the hospital five times to discuss what it had recorded before going to air.

Under Australian regulations, the permission of anyone on the receiving end of a radio prank must be sought before the call can be broadcast.

But the hospital denied on Monday that anyone within its senior management or media unit was contacted.

Mr Holleran insisted the appropriate checks were conducted before the pre-recorded item was broadcast, and defended the presenters in an interview late on Monday with Australia's Ten Network.

Asked if anyone in authority above the hosts was at the station when the call was made, he said: "I think that it is important that these two individuals did not recklessly just decide to put something to air."

He said the "went through a process", without going into details.

Ms Saldanha was originally from Mangalore in southwest India, according to reports, and her teenage children are said to be daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16.

Scotland Yard said the post-mortem examination would be held at Westminster Mortuary and it was likely an inquest would be opened and adjourned at Westminster Coroner's Court later this week.

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HMS Audacious: New Super Submarine For Navy

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A £1.2bn contract has been agreed to build a new submarine for the Royal Navy.

The deal, awarded by the Ministry of Defence to BAE Systems, will safeguard 3,000 jobs at the company's Barrow shipyard in Cumbria.

The submarine, to be called HMS Audacious, will be the fourth of seven Astute Class boats being built for the Navy. It will join Astute, Ambush and Artful in the growing fleet.

The first two submarines, Astute and Ambush, are currently undergoing sea trials to test their systems ahead of full service. These trials assess their ability to dive to deep depths and fire missiles.

A further £1.5bn has also been committed to three submarines yet to be built, which will complete the fleet. It will allow vital preliminary work to start.

Commenting on the announcement, Rear Admiral Simon Lister, the MoD's director of submarines, said: "The Astute Class will become the jewel in the crown of the Royal Navy's Submarine Service and boasts much greater firepower and more advanced sonar and communications than ever before.

Audacious is the fourth of seven Astute submarines being built for the Navy

"These submarines represent a huge leap forward in technology and will operate all over the world with the Royal Navy.

"These boats provide the optimum capability a submarine can offer in land strike, strategic intelligence gathering, anti-submarine and surface ship warfare, and protection of the strategic deterrent."

The Astute class submarines are powered by nuclear energy which means they never need to refuel. In theory they can stay underwater forever, only re-surfacing to take on supplies for the crew.

They are fitted with the most advanced sonar systems available and are quieter than older submarines. The sonar system has the processing power of 2,000 laptops and can track spot and track ships 3,000 miles away.

At around 320ft (97 metres) from bow to stern they are about 50% bigger than the Royal Navy's current Trafalgar Class submarines. They carry on board a mix of Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack missiles.

The submarines will also make their own oxygen from seawater. 

The money is coming from a pre-allocated budget. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor said the MoD could have more time to spend about £1bn that it has yet to use from this year's budget.

It was thought that the Treasury might request the money be returned, but George Osborne has allowed the department a period of flexibility.

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DNA Database: £100m Bid To Cut Cancer Deaths

David Cameron is to unveil plans for a DNA database that could one day hold the genetic details of every person in Britain.

A £100m project will see 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases having their DNA fully mapped as part of a drive to revolutionise NHS treatment.

The project, to take place in England over the next three to five years, is aimed at saving thousands of lives - but there are concerns that it could pose risks to privacy.

The Prime Minister said he wanted to "push the boundaries" by introducing mainstream genetic sequencing for the first time.

"Britain has often led the world in scientific breakthroughs and medical innovations, from the first CT scan and test-tube baby through to decoding DNA," Mr Cameron said.

"By unlocking the power of DNA data, the NHS will lead the global race for better tests, better drugs and above all better care.

Doctors hope the database will help reduce cancer deaths

"We are turning an important scientific breakthrough into a potentially life-saving reality for NHS patients across the country.

"If we get this right, we could transform how we diagnose and treat our most complex diseases not only here but across the world, while enabling our best scientists to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology."

Some critics of the project, known as the "UK genome plan", have voiced concerns about how the data will be used and shared with third parties, including with commercial organisations such as drug companies.

GeneWatch, a campaign group fighting for genetic science and technologies to be used in the public interest, has said anyone with access to the database could use the genetic codes to identify and track every individual on it and their relatives.

But Downing Street stressed that the genome sequencing would be entirely voluntary and patients will be able to opt out without affecting their NHS care. It added the data would be "completely anonymised before it is stored".

The Government's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said the NHS already analysed single genes in cancer tests and to check patients' risk of suffering side effects from treatment.

"At the moment, these tests focus on diseases caused by changes in a single gene," she said. "This funding opens up the possibility of being able to look at the three billion DNA pieces in each of us so we can get a greater understanding of the complex relationship between our genes and lifestyle."

The £100m, which comes from existing NHS budgets, will go on training genetic scientists, mapping patients' DNA, and creating systems for handling the information.

The project that first sequenced a human genome in 2000 cost around £500m, but technical advances mean the bill has dropped dramatically to under £1,000 per person.

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Suffolk Light Aircraft Crash: One Person Dead

One person has died after a light aircraft crashed into a tree in a Suffolk village.

Police said the aircraft came down in Aldham, near Hadleigh, where it collided with a tree and became submerged in a pond.

At around the same time as the crash, homes in Aldham and nearby Elmsett lost power because of a fault on the 11,000-volt overhead electricity distribution network.

A spokesman for UK Power Networks said engineers were working with emergency services at the site of the plane crash to restore power "as quickly and as safely as possible", although most homes were reconnected within six hours.

Local resident Alison Gillies told Sky News she could see smoke rising from land behind her house.

"There are a huge number of emergency services in the village and our power was off for around three or four hours," she said.

Ms Gillies said it was not unusual to see light aircraft flying over Aldham as they take off from or land at Elmsett Airfield to the northwest.

Dennis Hill, who lives near the crash site, added: "The plane flew across the fields and into the tree, before falling into the pond.

"I think the pilot died on impact. There's an airfield nearby but he was way off track. It's like he was trying to land, but you've got fields and hedges in the way."

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters from Woodbridge, Hadleigh, Needham Market, Bury St Edmunds and Halstead, Essex, were called to the village, which is around eight miles from Ipswich.

Police and ambulance crews and a water rescue team were also sent to the scene.

An area around the crash site was cordoned off and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch was alerted.

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NI Police On Alert Amid Union Flag Tensions

Police are on alert in Belfast after a week of protests over new restrictions on flying the Union flag at City Hall.

Up to 2,000 people took part in a loyalist protest in the city centre on Saturday, which passed off peacefully.

But pockets of violence broke out in east Belfast - with one police officer taken to hospital - as a major security operation got underway to try to prevent a repeat of the clashes on Friday night which saw eight officers injured.

Saturday's demonstration against new restrictions on flying the Union flag at City Hall ended after about an hour with a rendition of God Save The Queen.

A protest in Belfast passed off peacefully but there was violence elsewhere

Two tricolours were burned amid chants and jeers while protesters sang a number of sectarian songs.

Up to 20 police armoured Land Rovers were lined up on either side of the building while officers in full riot gear with dogs could be seen in the courtyard.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said protesters had dispersed, but there was some disorder in east Belfast and a section of the Newtownards Road was closed.

The Christmas market in Belfast city centre had been temporarily shut down but later re-opened.

On Friday night, eight police officers were injured and more than a dozen people arrested - including a 13-year-old boy - during clashes between loyalists and riot police.

Around 2,000 people joined the protest in Belfast city centre

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said loyalist paramilitaries had been orchestrating some of the violence seen in the past 24 hours.

"Violence has serious and unwanted consequences for us all and we will robustly investigate all incidents," he said.

"I am urging everyone to be calm, take a step back and think about how this violence is affecting not just their own communities but the whole of Northern Ireland."

Violence erupted when councillors in Belfast voted to limit the number of days the Union Flag could be flown over the City Hall to 17 days a year.

A death threat against the MP Naomi Long, whose Alliance Party tabled a compromise agreement on the issue, led to an escalation in the seriousness of the tensions.

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