The North’s first minister Michelle O’Neill has said Stormont communities minister Gordon Lyons should resign over a social media post sent hours before an attack on Larne Leisure Centre. Mr Lyons has faced criticism over a social media post about the location of immigrant families who fled their homes.

Disorder has broken out in Northern Ireland for the third successive night, after police said people are "waking up with genuine fear for their lives" following two nights of violence in Ballymena and other areas.

A FIRE has broken out at Larne Leisure Centre following vandalism at the facility. Social media footage showed masked individuals smashing windows at the leisure centre in Co Antrim and setting

A number of projectiles have been launched at police in Ballymena, including petrol bombs and fireworks in another night of violence in the town.

In Ballymena on Wednesday, the PSNI deployed riot police for a third night in a row as hundreds gathered around the Clonavon Terrace area. At least one protester was struck by plastic baton rounds fired by police while officers also used a water cannon on the crowd.

Fires have been started and windows smashed in at the Larne Leisure Centre in Co Antrim amid ongoing disturbance in Northern Ireland.

Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly described being inside Larne Leisure Centre during Wednesday evening’s attack as “frightening”.