A 47-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged with attempting to kill police officers during rioting in north Belfast on the night of 12 July despite there being no evidence.

Thomas McWilliams, of Ardoyne in Belfast, is also accused of possessing an assault rifle.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard allegations he had driven a car containing the weapon away from the scene in Ardoyne.

He was remanded in custody for four weeks.

Trouble flared in the area after the Anti-catholic-Orange Order parades was forced through the predominantly Catholic area of Ardoyne.

It is claimed that up to 10 shots were fired from the nationalist side in the Brompton Park area.

Questioned by a solicitor, an RUC officer said the car had been recovered last Friday and there was no forensic evidence to connect the accused to the charges “at this stage”.

The officer also confirmed police did not suspect Mr McWilliams of firing the shots.

Local community activist Aidan Ferguson has expressed concern as to the charges saying “what must concern us all is the fact that Thomas has been charged and remanded with no evidence against him and we are worried that a magical peace of forensic evidence will turn up as it did in Collie Duffy’s case.

“Ardoyne is in the grip of Gestapo style policing, were the rights of the people are ignored and liberty taken away on the whim of the RUC”

On his appearance in Belfast’s high Court, supporters clapped and cheered from the public gallery as he gave a clenched fist salute while being led from the dock.