The Communities Minister has been referred to the Standards Commissioner by Assembly opposition leader Matthew O’Toole after comments he made before the vandalism and arson that led to Larne Leisure Centre going up in flames.

Minister Gordon Lyons had posted on social media before the fire took place to say that the leisure centre was being used as an emergency shelter for families fleeing the unrest in Ballymena, 30 minutes from Larne. O’Toole slammed this error, saying: “He is the minister responsible for the Housing Executive and lives are at stake.”

Mr Lyons said on Wednesday: “As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP Council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon.”

He added: “It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful.”

Riot police were able to bring protesters to heel by around midnight on Wednesday, after crowds once again started fires on the streets of Ballymena and threw objects at officers.

After three days of widespread property damage in Ballymena, residents have started putting English and British flags above their doors in a bid to stave off vandalism from the rioters.

On one road where multiple homes have been torched, around a third of homes were displaying these flags.

Fearing that protesters are targeting the homes of Ballymena’s migrant communities, some have also started putting signs in their windows stating ‘locals only live here’.

However, these measures might not deter property damage as, earlier on Wednesday night, a TikTok live stream showed a group using stones to smash the windows of a home displaying a Union Jack.

A leisure centre has gone up in flames after vandals targeted the building on the third day of unrest in Northern Ireland, following an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena.

Rioters have set homes ablaze and smashed windows in the town for three days in a row, forcing many residents to flee out of fear for their safety. Many of those escaping the violence had been put up in Larne Leisure Centre, where the arson took place. Larne is just 20 miles from Ballymena.

Witnesses saw masked thugs smashing in the windows of the key community asset, before starting fires outside the building, which quickly took hold and spread to the interior.

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Police officers are continuing to square off with crowds of masked protesters in Ballymena, where yet more fires have been set and homes vandalised.

Videos from the scene show fireworks being launched at lines of riot police, as the rioters continue their attacks on officers.

Northern Ireland’s public transport provider Translink has warned customers of ‘severe’ disruption due to the ongoing ‘civil unrest’.

This is due to the potential damage caused by the fire set on train tracks in Coleraine, with passengers on the Derry-Londonderry line likely to face delays.

Masked protesters have set fires in towns across Northern Ireland this evening, with Larne, Newtownabbey, and Coleraine also witnessing public disorder breakout alongside Ballymena.

Masked gangs could be seen starting fires in Newtownabbey, which has multiple roads closed due to the unrest.

Meanwhile, in Coleraine, rioters started a fire on a set of train tracks that run through the town.

A community leisure centre has become the latest victim of the continued unrest in Northern Ireland.

Larne Leisure Centre was engulfed in flames after masked thugs were seen committing acts of vandalism. After breaking windows and setting a fire outside, the blaze quickly spread into the building.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the facility had been designated as an emergency rest centre for those in urgent need following disturbances in nearby Ballymena but the families had been safely relocated elsewhere.

Police have already deployed water cannons in an attempt to control the unrest in Ballymena, where protests are continuing for the third night in a row.

Fireworks and other projectiles have already been lobbed at police, who have already faced days of violence at the hands of the rioters.

Crowds have once again been attempting to gather near to Clonavon Terrace, which has been a focal point of the protests in the Co Antrim town, but have been pushed back by PSNI officers with riot shields.

Alliance’s Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson MLA slammed the motives of protesters, who have set homes on fire and injured dozens of police officers after an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena over the weekend.

The MLA said the rioters were: “‘Concerned’ about women and girls, while they attack women and girls. ‘Concerned’ about housing, while burning homes. ‘Concerned’ about public services, as they destroy a leisure centre.

“This has nothing to do with ‘legitimate concerns’. It is pure, unabated racism.”