Police officer injured during serious rioting in the Ardoyne area by loyalists on Twelfth of July

A MEMBER of the Orange Order is due in court on Thursday charged with the attempted murder of a police officer over rioting in north Belfast on the Twelfth of July

The 30-year-old was arrested on Wednesday at his home in Alliance Close, a cul-de-sac off Alliance Avenue in north Belfast, by officers investigating the trouble.

Belfast Daily revealed on Wednesday that the arrested man is a a member of a local Orange Order lodge.

He has also been charged with possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit murder and riotous behaviour.

He will appear before Belfast Magistrates Court.

Following the trouble on the Twelfth, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr later put on show a riot helmet which he said had been dented with the ceremonial sword during the attack.

Belfast Daily also revealed yesterday that searches were also been carried out in the Glenbryn area of the upper Ardoyne on Wednesday morning.

It is understood police have been looking to arrest members of the Pride of the Ardoyne band which accompanied Orange Lodges back to north Belfast before their route home was prevented by police landrovers.

Said a source: “All but one of the band members were not at home.

Police on Wednesday tried to arrest members of the Pride of Ardoyne flute band on Wednesday

“Police called at one band member’s home but he fled out the back door.”

It is understood one band member was identified by police after he appeared on a recent BBC 3 documentary ‘Petrol Bombs and Peace’ over the parading trouble.

Hundreds of hours of footage, heli-teli images, newspaper articles and public broadcast footage are currently being studied to identify people involved in the trouble.

A special team of police officers was set up in the wake of the Ardoyne riots to identify those involved.