Seen: Belfast shoppers stunned as loyalists brawl in the street

A UVF man and a rival – with close family links to the UDA – were filmed milling about in the city centre. The identities of both men are well known in the east of the city.

Saturday shoppers ran for cover as the men – both in their 30s – exchanged blows on the sidewalk.

Dressed in shorts and T-shirts and both with short Peaky Blinder-style haircuts on the back and sides, the men exchanged blows for several minutes as stunned parents struggled to remove their children from the scene.

A heavy right hook landed on the UVF man’s nose, sending blood streaming down his face. But the injured man continued to fight and landed some decisive blows in response.

However, this seemed to be the signal that a second fight was about to break out a short distance away.

A number of women standing nearby quickly moved from verbal jousting to open warfare. A middle-aged woman almost lost her top.

Well-informed sources say paramilitary leaders of both the UDA and UVF were alerted to the interloyalist violence within minutes.

And it is understood that immediate action was taken to ensure the violence did not spread or escalate.

“The last thing the UDA and UVF need at the moment is people with close links to the organizations fighting on the streets.

“This was not about opposing views on the path forward to loyalty, but apparently about money,” said a source who witnessed the violence.

It is understood footage of the incident has been passed on to the PSNI and is currently being investigated.