500 sea cadets cancel Belfast trip over violence fears

A United States of America (US) maritime training vessel has cancelled a long-planned call to Belfast in the wake of last week's violence.

The decision to cancel was taken at the peak of the violence which saw houses and vehicles set alight.

The Empire State VII was due to dock at Belfast Harbour for four days this week.

It would have brought around 500 maritime cadets to the city.

A spokesperson for the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College, which operates the vessel, said it will instead call at Southampton.

In a post on Instagram the college said: "While changes to a voyage of this magnitude are never made lightly, this decision reflects our commitment to prudent risk management and ensuring a safe and productive training experience for everyone aboard.

"Maritime operations require constant assessment of changing conditions around the world, and the ability to adapt is a hallmark of both good seamanship and effective leadership."

The Empire State VII is on its Summer Sea Term training program which has also included a call to Malaga in Spain.

On Sunday the Stormont health minister, Mike Nesbitt, said the violence that erupted last week was a "stain on Northern Ireland's reputation, locally, nationally and internationally".

The Empire State VII is on its Summer Sea Term training program.