I watched Belfast burn as masked mobs hunted for violence and police vanished from the streets |
By Andy Hughes, LBC Crime Correspondent
The stench of menace filled the air on the streets of Belfast last night.
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As the team from LBC flew in, I could see several pillows of smoke hovering over the city from the sky.
The biggest plume was coming from east Belfast, so that became our destination.
I arrived in Newtownards Road to the vision of flames tearing through a bus, surrounded by an angry mob.
I quickly realised this was no normal protest. Everywhere I looked, there were hundreds of men and boys - and they were all dressed the same: in black clothing, wearing hoods, masks and balaclavas.
Why? Because it makes it nearly impossible to be identified by police.
I told our cameraman Shane Fennelly not to use his normal camera. It was far too dangerous to film openly. I had read the warnings on social media that no journalists were allowed, and no........