Apprentice boys march gets go-ahead

A parade by the loyalist Apprentice Boys was given the go ahead by the Parades Commission last night after it proposed a new …

A parade by the loyalist Apprentice Boys was given the go ahead by the Parades Commission last night after it proposed a new route in east Belfast.

The parade had originally been restricted by the commission after it proposed a route which would have taken it close to the nationalist Short Strand, but a new ruling was made after the loyal order agreed a new route.

The commission said a considerable amount of time and effort had been taken by the Apprentice Boys to resolve the issue.

"It hopes that these efforts will be acknowledged by all communities in east Belfast and that the parade will be able to proceed peacefully and lawfully," it added.