Summary

  • The police say rioting in west Belfast on Wednesday night was on a scale not seen in NI for years

  • The Stormont Executive calls for an end to the street violence

  • Eight police officers were injured in violence in west Belfast on Wednesday night

  • It brings the total number of officers injured recently to 55 after six consecutive nights of disorder

  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the scenes "deeply concerned" him

  • NI Secretary Brandon Lewis has arrived for talks with political parties

Live Reporting

Emily McGarvey and Luke Sproule

  1. PSNI chief constable briefs ministers on rioting

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  2. 'Likely that proscribed organisations were involved'

    "There was a degree of organisation" in last night's violence in Belfast, one of the PSNI's assistant chief constables has said.

    ACC Jonathan Roberts said it was too "early to indicate whether or not any proscribed organisations were involved", however, police believed this was a "likely situation".

    "We saw young people participating in serious disorder and committing serious criminal offences and they were supported and encouraged and the actions were orchestrated by adults at certain times," he said..

    Lanark WayPacemaker

    The senior officer said two adults were arrested and remain in custody.

    ACC Roberts said the events "will be subject to a thorough investigation and people that were involved in them can expect to be arrested in the days and weeks ahead".

  3. Arlene Foster to speak with chief constable about violence

    First Minister Arlene Foster will speak with PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne later today, according to DUP assembly member Mervyn Storey.

    Mrs Foster, who is still calling for the chief constable to resign over the police's handling of the funeral of Bobby Storey in June 2020, previously said neither she nor Mr Byrne had asked to meet each other over the recent violence.

    Foster/ByrnePacemaker

    Mr Storey, a Policing Board member, said he received a call from the chief constable's office on Thursday morning to request a meeting "as I understand he will do to others today".

    Mr Storey told The Nolan Show he expected DUP calls for Mr Byrne to resign will be repeated at the meeting.

  4. Emergency Stormont meeting after another night of violence

    Burning bus in west BelfastReuters

    Stormont will meet today after another night of violence in Northern Ireland.

    Police officers were attacked, petrol bombs were thrown and a bus was burnt in west Belfast on Wednesday.

    It follows more than a week of disturbances across Northern Ireland.

    Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Jonathan Roberts said 55 police officers had been injured in riots in recent days.

    “We have seen scenes of a new generation of young people exposed to things we thought were in generations gone by.”