Show of solidarity for Belfast bus driver caught up in attack

A demonstration has been held at Belfast City Hall for the driver of a bus that was hijacked and set alight in the city.

The incident happened at Lanark Way, near the junction with the Shankill Road, amid scenes of disorder on Wednesday evening.

It is understood the bus driver was not injured, but was left badly shaken.

Speaking at Thursday afternoon's demonstration, Hugh Ferran from the union Unite condemned the attack as "horrendous".

"I think the general feeling is we don’t want to go back to those days, a lot of the drivers now won’t have any experience of that sort of carry-on from the past," he told UTV.

"Some of us older ones remember those days and we certainly don’t want to go back to those days, and we condemn the actions of the people involved in this."

The Metro Bus was taken at around 7.20pm on Wednesday.

Translink chief executive Chris Conway said all the passengers were off the bus before the attack and said his thoughts are with the driver.

Bus services were withdrawn in a number of areas of Belfast as a precaution.

The disturbances over recent days were also condemned by the Executive and during a special sitting of the Assembly on Thursday.