Warrington peace charity calls for calm amid growing tensions in Northern Ireland

Bosses at the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Peace Foundation have said a show of leadership is needed in Northern Ireland after a seventh consecutive night of violence there.

Last night saw Police in west Belfast being attacked with petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks. On Wednesday a bus was also hijacked and petrol bombed.

The peace foundation was set up after the IRA bombing of Warrington in 1993, which took the lives of Tim Parry aged 12, and Johnathan Ball aged 3.

Nick Taylor is the CEO of the charity:

"Obviously, we at the peace foundation are very concerned about what's happening in Northern Ireland at the moment, we've seen seven consecutive nights of violence, police officers reported injured, a journalist assaulted and a bus hijacked and then set a light."

"We need to see a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, we've had two decades of relative peace but this shows that there is still work to do."

"We have a conflict that's lasted for decades, if not a century, and a troubled past that we need to keep well in the past so the work needs to continue for peace."

"The priority now is to calm the tensions, it's important today that we see leadership and we welcome the fact that the Stormont assembly has met."

"The parties in the Stormont assembly are very divided on political lines but it is important that they work together with dialogue and try and speak with one voice and try and send out a strong message of solidarity, that violence will not be tolerated."

"Equally here in Great Britain, we need to be doing the same, we need our leaders to be supporting that process and trying to calm the fractures that are in place."

"There is always a danger in a conflict that it's complex and things can escalate and the situation gets out of control. None of us I think want to go back to what we've seen in the past."

"We're still working very closely with our colleagues and friends over in Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland as well, seeking ways to promote reconciliation and peace for the long term."

"It's hard to predict why tensions are rising at the moment. These matters are very complex. There are many people with grievances and there are those people in society who will seek to stir up trouble."

"We hope that work for peace can continue, it will never go away."

"Obviously at the moment, we're thinking about everybody in Northern Ireland and hoping this we can get back to a more peaceful situation."

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