Rioters set fire to leisure centre in Northern Ireland
A third night of unrest erupted in Northern Ireland on Wednesday when rioters set a leisure centre on fire.
Balaclava-clad youths targeted the sports facility in Larne, Co Antrim, after it emerged that people displaced by previous violence were temporarily housed there.
The seaside town is 20 miles to the east of Ballymena, where anti-migrant disorder was triggered by the alleged attempted rape of a schoolgirl at the hands of two Romanian-speaking teenagers.
Footage showed flames engulfing the glass-fronted leisure centre, where windows had been smashed by projectiles.
Tracksuit-wearing rioters attacked the building the day after it was used as a temporary shelter for the residents of houses targeted in Ballymena on Tuesday night.
There was also fresh unrest in Ballymena, with crowds hurling bottles and rocks at riot police in the town centre.
Mid and East Antrim borough council confirmed it had used the leisure centre as an 'emergency shelter for families in urgent need following disturbances in Ballymena'.
'The families have all been safely relocated,' a spokesman said.
Mr Lyons later added: 'Wanton destruction such as the attack on Larne Leisure Centre is an attack on all residents who use the facility. There is absolutely no excuse for what has taken place in Larne, and it must be condemned.'
In Ballymena, police in full riot gear clashed with rioters as a crowd of approximately 500 people gathered.
Police in full riot gear with shields attempted to clear the crowds as bottles and rocks were thrown at them.
On Tuesday, the second night of violence in Ballymena saw rioters set alight properties where foreigners were believed to live and attack police with petrol bombs, masonry and fireworks.
The riots were condemned as 'racist thuggery' by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) after residents were forced to display the British flag on their homes in attempts to avoid them being set alight.
A water cannon, dogs and rubber bullets were used by officers to contain the 'serious disorder' in Ballymena.
Unrest also erupted in areas of Belfast, Lisburn, Coleraine and Newtownabbey earlier in the evening.
Police have arrested six suspected rioters so far.
The two 14-year-old boys charged with attempted rape will next appear in court on July 2.
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