Alliance Leader Naomi Long has submitted an Assembly recall petition, following days of unrest on the streets of Northern Ireland.

The Alliance Party Leader said the move was needed after weeks of growing tensions around a number of issues, which saw the PSNI undermined continuously and publicly, come to a head with youths taking to the streets over Easter weekend.

She said: “Now is the time for leadership, for the PSNI and rule of law to be supported and for every representative to show the leadership their mandate requires them to deliver.

“We are facing an extremely serious situation. Weeks of tensions from a number of issues, incited and encouraged by a number of people who really should know better, has brought us to this point.

“To the PSNI officers injured in the line of duty, to anyone who has suffered distress, loss and damage as a result of these incidents, I’m sorry the system has failed you.

“The violence has to stop, but so does the political cover given through vague comments and empty threats. There is no room for ambiguity – this violence must be condemned by a united Assembly, which fully supports the rule of law in Northern Ireland. Anything less is just allowing a culture of lawlessness to grow and further poison our community.”