The British army has cancelled a flypast for a soldiers homecoming parade in Belfast this weekend, as political leaders appealed for calm amid increasing fears of violence breaking out there.

Anti war protesters had planned protests on Sunday at the homecoming for troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Along with the cancellation of the flypast, all the soldiers in the parade will be unarmed.

The Northern Ireland General Officer Commanding Major General Chris Brown said the army had taken a number of measures to ensure that their Parade does not cause friction.

Self-rule was restored in Belfast last year, nearly a decade after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The last thing it needs is a parade honouring British soldiers through it's streets.