Loyalists were today preparing to begin another week of protests outside a Catholic school in north Belfast amid warnings pupils could be damaged permanently.
As the daily standoff at Holy Cross Primary School entered its second month, parish priest Fr Aidan Troy urged political leaders to step up their efforts to end the "immoral" situation.
The chairman of the school's board of governors said: "Their well-being is under threat and damage is being done that may be difficult to remedy. "Counselling support put in place by the school is tackling this".
Riot police have mounted a daily escort for parents and girls aged as young as four from the nationalist lower Ardoyne past Protestant residents from the loyalist Glenbryn enclave.
After blast bomb attacks on RUC lines during early violent clashes, protesters have since staged silent vigils every day as the children walk past. A barrage of whistles and foghorns are then directed at parents as they return to their district.
Fr Troy did not deny loyalist residents angered at what they regard as efforts to force them out of the area had a right to feel aggrieved.
But he said: "This must not, however, disguise the immorality and appalling danger to 220 pupils as they are daily subjected to fear and intimidation".
PA