Image caption Police came under attack in the Broadway area

Crowds of nationalists have thrown petrol bombs and masonry at police during serious rioting in west Belfast.

Plastic bullets were fired in response by police in the Broadway and Oldpark areas of the city.

Water cannon was used during trouble at Broadway and a total of seven police officers were injured in the rioting.

Police are investigating reports that gunshots were fired in the area but there are no reports of any injuries as a result.

Set alight

On Monday evening, a bus was hijacked on the Falls Road. The driver was dragged from the vehicle and passengers were ordered off.

It was then driven at police lines on the Donegall Road, but crashed a short distance away. A van was also set alight on the Donegall Road.

Police used water cannon after coming under attack from a crowd of around 100 to 200 people throwing missiles and stones in the Broadway and Falls Road areas.

About 40 people gathered in North Queen Street and petrol has been thrown at police.

There was a minor disturbance on the Shore Road after a barricade was erected across the road at Greencastle Station. It has now been removed.

There were also minor disturbances in the Whitewell area of the city.

A number of residents in the Ballysillan area have had to leave their homes because of a security alert.

A local community centre was opened to accommodate them.

Street violence

Army bomb experts were called to examine a suspicious vehicle at Glenbryn Parade, but the incident was later declared a hoax.

There were reports that windows had been smashed during trouble in the Portadown area of County Armagh.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said one firefighter was slightly injured by youths throwing stones in Londonderry.

It said it was dealing with around one call every 75 seconds across Northern Ireland. By 0100 BST on Tuesday it had received 180 fire calls, a 65% increase on the previous year.

A spokesman said its efforts to protect the community were being hampered by the street violence.

One fire appliance was damaged in Belfast by youths throwing stones and was taken out of service. Another vehicle was deployed.

In addition to this, the NIFRS said it brought two contingency appliances into service to ensure it could keep up with demand.