Police have issued an urgent appeal to trace two men linked to “serious disorder” in Belfast on Tuesday as the city faced a second night of rioting.
CCTV images of two men have been released as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) continues to hunt down suspects after violence broke out in the city.
Houses were left scorched and families forced to flee after riots broke out in the Northern Irish capital on Tuesday. The violence was sparked after police revealed the man accused of stabbing Stephen Ogilvie on Monday night was an asylum seeker who had come to the UK from Sudan.
The stabbing suspect Hadi Alodid appeared in court on Wednesday and has been remanded into custody.
Officers from the PSNI urged anyone who recognises the individuals in the images to come forward and speak to police.
“Police have released a number of images following serious disorder in Belfast,” the force said in a statement.
“Police would like to speak with the people in these images in connection with serious public disorder on Tuesday (9th June) in the Belfast area.”
They added: “Anyone who may be able to identify any of these individuals or provide any information about them such as their name, address or age is urged to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on 101.
“Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
One image shows a man in a black jacket and navy tracksuit bottoms with a rucksack on his back.
The second man is pictured wearing a beanie hat and a black North Face puffer gilet with the hood up.
Cars were set ablaze and petrol bombs thrown during the disorder which saw families chased from their homes.
Two police officers were injured during the clashes on Tuesday, and two people have been charged with rioting. An 18-year-old was arrested after a petrol bomb was thrown at officers in Carrickfergus, though security minister Dan Jarvis warned that more arrests “will surely follow”.
The family of Mr Ogilvie, who lost an eye in Monday night’s attack, issued a desperate plea for calm on Wednesday. In a statement, they insisted they did not want the incident to stoke division, after migrant families were targeted by rioters, and defended migrants as making a “deeply valuable” contribution to Northern Ireland.
But their appeal failed to prevent further disorder on Wednesday evening as violence broke out again in Newtownabbey to the northwest of Belfast.
